• The Last Colony by Philippe Sands, Martin Rowson
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The Last Colony

A Tale of Exile, Justice and Britain’s Colonial Legacy
  • Author
    • Philippe Sands
  • Illustrator
    • Martin Rowson
£9.99
£9.99

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FROM THE WINNER OF THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE and author of EAST WEST STREET

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'Should be read by anyone who cares about justice, humanity and human rights' Elif Shafak
'An essential account' Sunday Times
'Powerful and persuasive . . . superb' Abdulrazak Gurnah
'An urgent reminder that Britain's colonial rule isn't our past. It's our present' New Statesman
'An important [book]' Observer
'Elegant, moving and profoundly informative' The Scotsman

Through one woman's fight for justice, the award-winning author of East West Street exposes the shocking events that marked the 1965 establishment of the British Indian Ocean Territory. Written with Sands' characteristic expertise, insight and thrilling storytelling, The Last Colony lays bare the brutal legacy of colonial rule, the devastating impact of Britain's grip on its last colony in Africa and the ongoing struggle to right a historic wrong.
  • Published: Jul 06 2023
  • Pages: 224
  • 127 x 193mm
  • ISBN: 9781474618144
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Press Reviews

  • HENRY MARSH

    An important book about a great injustice - alas, the sins of our colonial fathers are still with us

  • ABDULRAZAK GURNAH

    A powerful and persuasive account . . . superb

  • ELIF SHAFAK

    Mindful of not only the stories but also the silences of the past, THE LAST COLONY is a powerful and poignant book that should be read by anyone who cares about justice, humanity and human rights. Rarely does a book combine erudition and empathy so eloquently - it is stellar in every sense of the word

  • Tim Adams

    OBSERVER
    The Chagossians were forced from their archipelago in the Indian Ocean in the 1970s, and Britain still refuses to hand it back. Human rights lawyer Philippe Sands relates the wider tragedy of the scandal with nerve and precision . . . [he] makes a steely and forensic case, laced with human empathy . . . an important and welcome corrective

  • Joyce McMillan

    THE SCOTSMAN
    Gripping . . . Sands writes fluently and passionately throughout, linking the story of the Chagossians to the wider narrative of the end of colonialism, and postwar attempts to codify and enforce the right of self-determination of peoples. Elegant, moving and profoundly informative

  • Tomiwa Owolade

    SUNDAY TIMES
    Powerful and elegantly written . . . Sands uses the story of one Chagossian woman to tell a broader story about colonialism and international human rights from the 20th century to today. An essential account of a continuing and little-known area of injustice
  • DAILY TELEGRAPH
    Sands, who represented Mauritius at the International Court, is the right person to tell this story. He elegantly mixes a more general history of the development of international law, on which he knows as much as anyone, with the particular subject of the book
  • IRISH TIMES
    A fascinating story which shows the personal and ongoing toll of colonial rule
  • SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
    Brings a human touch to the story . . . Sands is a worthy and effective advocate
  • NEW STATESMAN
    Interweaves personal stories with global politics and the development of international law . . . an urgent reminder that Britain's colonial rule isn't our past. It's our present
  • JEWISH CHRONICLE
    A resounding history, thrilling as any novel
  • DAILY MIRROR
    A devastating indictment of Britain's colonial past, exploring the decision to deport the entire population of Chagos in the 1960s. It recounts one courageous woman's four-decade fight for justice in the face of a crime against humanity, culminating in a courtroom drama at The Hague and a historic ruling