Mission to Madagascar: The Sergeant, the King, and the Slave Trade

by David Mould

Rip-roaring history from the author of Postcards from Journeys in Central Asia, Monsoon Indian Ocean Journeys and Postcards from the Borderlands . Radama--the young, savvy, ruthless ruler of the rising military power in Madagascar. Robert Townsend Farquhar--the scheming governor of the British island colony of Mauritius, whose plantation economy depends on slave labor. James Hastie--an enterprising East India Company sergeant, ready to take on a risky mission. In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, as Britain and France face off in the southwest Indian Ocean, the destinies of these three characters intertwine. Will the British cut a deal to end the export of slaves from Madagascar, and if so at what cost? Will Radama, with the wily Hastie by his side, win the internal power struggle against nobles and clan chieftains? Will his forces unite the island, making him king of all Madagascar? Hastie's previously unpublished journals weave a narrative of hazardous travel, byzantine court intrigue and colonial geopolitics. Nonfiction. History.

304 pages, Paperback

Published June 8, 2023

Reviews

[Kimberly Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting story, but the second half was pretty repetitive and slow.