What do you think?
Rate this book
Star and Key: The Historical Adventure of Mauritius
Many countries have an interesting tale to tell about their origins and evolution. But few are as exciting and adventurous as that of Mauritius—‘Star and Key’ of the Indian Ocean.
A tiny island of volcanos, dodos and lagoons, Mauritius remained untouched by humans until Arab sailors discovered it in the tenth century. Settled by the Portuguese, Dutch, French and then British, it was passed from one empire to another, each recognising its immense strategic importance, yet all struggling fully to control it.
From a highly prized colonial chess piece to an independent success story, Mauritius has always been a place with outsized influence. This cultural melting-pot is home to peoples of Indian, Chinese, African and European descent, shaping the country’s vibrant literature, music, language and art—as well as its ethnic tensions, which have always bubbled near the surface. Olivier Hein’s sweeping history uncovers Mauritius’s fascinating yet little-known past, exploring the age of pirates; the horrors of indentured labour; the 1810 Franco-British war; the transformations in economy, landscape and climate during the twenty-first century; and much more. From its geological origins to the present day, this is the story of an island nation quite unlike any other.
A tiny island of volcanos, dodos and lagoons, Mauritius remained untouched by humans until Arab sailors discovered it in the tenth century. Settled by the Portuguese, Dutch, French and then British, it was passed from one empire to another, each recognising its immense strategic importance, yet all struggling fully to control it.
From a highly prized colonial chess piece to an independent success story, Mauritius has always been a place with outsized influence. This cultural melting-pot is home to peoples of Indian, Chinese, African and European descent, shaping the country’s vibrant literature, music, language and art—as well as its ethnic tensions, which have always bubbled near the surface. Olivier Hein’s sweeping history uncovers Mauritius’s fascinating yet little-known past, exploring the age of pirates; the horrors of indentured labour; the 1810 Franco-British war; the transformations in economy, landscape and climate during the twenty-first century; and much more. From its geological origins to the present day, this is the story of an island nation quite unlike any other.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published June 15, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 22, 2026
Somewhat redundant writing style but rly made me want to learn the histories of so many other countries and places. Time to finally read mistborn!!
August 15, 2026
Superb, and a feat to achieve this in circa 250 pages.
I'll say this from the off, I don't get the "redundant" style comment from another review; while there are one or two errors in the second half of the book, these are editorial/proofing issues.
I am a British-born Mauritian, a dual citizen who has been for short stints to the Motherland for all of my 45 plus years and I can say confidently this book connects the dots in my knowledge and fills in loads of gaps and has explained a lot of areas particularly around the antecedents of modern Mauritian politics I didn't understand fully, hitherto.
But that isn't the point. This is a thoroughly approachable book which should appeal to the likes of me, but also the newcomer to this subject. I particularly loved the description of how the island emerged in the first place.
I'm on holiday in Mauritius right now from England with my family and this book, which I saved from Christmas '25 when I had asked for it as a present and saved for this trip will now be passed around and devoured (sorry M Hein that we haven't obtained more copies, like).
Mauritius seems small - and its history is the bat of an eyelid in the scope of time - but is a vast subject to turn into such a successful page-turner.
Again commending the author and the rest is for you all to get a copy and read it.
I'll say this from the off, I don't get the "redundant" style comment from another review; while there are one or two errors in the second half of the book, these are editorial/proofing issues.
I am a British-born Mauritian, a dual citizen who has been for short stints to the Motherland for all of my 45 plus years and I can say confidently this book connects the dots in my knowledge and fills in loads of gaps and has explained a lot of areas particularly around the antecedents of modern Mauritian politics I didn't understand fully, hitherto.
But that isn't the point. This is a thoroughly approachable book which should appeal to the likes of me, but also the newcomer to this subject. I particularly loved the description of how the island emerged in the first place.
I'm on holiday in Mauritius right now from England with my family and this book, which I saved from Christmas '25 when I had asked for it as a present and saved for this trip will now be passed around and devoured (sorry M Hein that we haven't obtained more copies, like).
Mauritius seems small - and its history is the bat of an eyelid in the scope of time - but is a vast subject to turn into such a successful page-turner.
Again commending the author and the rest is for you all to get a copy and read it.
August 3, 2026
A great read and dive into a brief history of Mauritius upto the modern day. Fantastic after visiting the country this year.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews