Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. It is a unique blend of Asia and African culture. Although close to the East Coast of Africa, Madagascar came to be inhabited by sea-faring peoples from present day Indonesia. Although so close to the east coast of Africa where traces of human existence go back hundreds of thousands years, Madagascar was uninhabited until about two thousand years ago. How it came to be inhabited by sea-faring peoples from present day Indonesia is just one of the many fascinating aspects of this book. The History of Madagascar examines the origins of Malagasy, the early context with Europeans and the struggle for influence in the nineteenth century between the British and the French. It also covers the Colonial period from 1896 to 1960, the recovery of independence and subsequent history up to the early 1990's. A highly readable, entertaining introduction to the history, politics and people of Madagascar."