The Gardens of Mars

Few writers have delved into [Madagascar's] history and none as thoroughly and mercilessly as Gimlette... His descriptions of the everyday sights of Madagascar are wonderful... Enjoy the book as an evocation of this extraordinary island, in all its complexity and all its contradictions' * Literary Review * 'A beautifully written depiction of the people and history of this beguiling and perplexing island' -- Edward Paice 'Courageous, exploratory, humane and with a wry sense of humour' * Spectator * 'Destined to scoop whatever travel book awards are still in existence these days' * The Bay (Swansea) * 'The best English-language travel writer out there' * Travel Mag * 'A fabulous new book' * Timeless Travels * 'John Gimlette's latest thoughtful study sees him explore the relatively recent human history of the world's fourth largest island' * Wanderlust * 'This is classic Gimlette - an utter delight. Here is the tale of an enchanted island, one enlivened by its spirited inhabitants and mysterious past. But what makes the book so readable is the author's unfailing eye for the quirky and unexpected. It's a wonderfully witty and wry book, the author's wanderings through Madagascar lit all along the way by his telling eye for detail and accustomed panache' -- Benedict Allen 'In this chronicle of the fascinating strangeness of Madagascar [...] incredulity, horror and amusement coalesce in Gimlette's customarily talented narration of the weird' * Irish Times * 'Gimlette's 'walk-through history' is a tour de force, taking in slavery, Welsh missionaries, ancestor worship, French conquest, and forts whose ramparts are rendered in millions of egg whites' * Telegraph * '[Gimlette] takes us to the beautiful but extremely weird tropical island where everything - especially its history and fauna - is larger than life' -- Andrew Roberts, Engelsberg Ideas