{"title":"Books by Olivier Hein","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781805262923","title":"Star and Key","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA lively history of an extraordinary island and the people who call it home.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘Written with erudition, empathy and humour, it is an illuminating and im-portant book about a small island of global significance.’ — Ananda Devi, au-thor of \u003cem\u003eEve Out of Her Ruins\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMany 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe tiny island of Mauritius, once most famous for its now extinct dodo, is in the news with the Chagos Island deal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMauritius is a melting pot of cultures from Asia, Africa and Europe with a fascinating history\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Mauritian-British writer, Olivier Hein is a well-travelled former diplomat\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57682846744949,"sku":"9781805267409","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56312984633717,"sku":"9781805262923","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781805267409_733268bd-9af7-4b72-9c72-ec6677b06a7f.jpg?v=1792511720"},{"product_id":"9781805264231","title":"Borneo","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA fun and fascinating history of an island best known for tropical rainforests and captivating wildlife—but with a much bigger story to tell.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe world’s third-largest island, and the only one administered by three different sovereign nations, Borneo is something of a mystery. Home to an incredibly diverse indigenous population, once infamous for headhunting; a hotbed of military activity during World War II; a poster child for the ecological movement even as its rainforest is destroyed; and the host of Indonesia’s planned new capital city, Nusantara—Borneo’s past, present and future are nothing if not eclectic.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut hidden under its enigmatic façade is an extraordinary island at the centre of world affairs in ancient times, yet often aloof from them. From early visitors bringing new religions to the island, to a fluctuating relationship with China, to a time when piracy ruled, Olivier Hein’s sweeping tale uncovers the little-known events that shaped not only Borneo but the whole Malay Archipelago.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLinking Indonesian, Malaysian and Bruneian history, Hein brings together, for the first time, all the elements that make this island so unique. With Borneo sitting uncomfortably in the firing line of today’s great global power shift from Trans-Atlantic to Trans-Pacific, and now attracting millions of visitors a year, the story of this rich and complex island has never been more relevant.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLinks together Bruneian, Indonesian and Malaysian history to bring together all the elements that make Borneo so unique\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUncovers the little known events that shaped not only Borneo but whole Malay Archipelago\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the author of \u003cem\u003eMother of the World\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eStar and Key\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRidge and Vale\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eGlory, Faith and Sorrow\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56369234968949,"sku":"9781805264231","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781805264231_2e64110d-24c3-481a-9d19-7ae91b7cf8d5.jpg?v=1786028293"},{"product_id":"9781805265818","title":"Mother of the World","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReclaiming Turkmenistan from the margins of global attention, Hein offers a lively history of the ‘Mother of the World’ and its people.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese days, it’s rare for news items to come out of Turkmenistan. It can be easy for us to assume that the country was always isolated, quirky or even irrelevant. But its real history paints a wildly different picture.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTurkmenistan’s desert-dominated landscape has been an unheralded flashpoint at many key moments in history, whether as an integral but misunderstood part of the Soviet Empire, or as a major strategic prize in the brutal invasions of Genghis Khan. Sat exactly where East met West, yet often aloof from both, Turkmenistan was a key crossroads on the Silk Road, and once hosted the largest city on Earth, which doubled up as one of the world’s great seats of learning. It lays claim to conjuring up the world’s first monotheistic religion, and it may well have been one of the major players in that elusive turning point of history, the birth of civilisation—up there with Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo other nation can claim all of this, yet Turkmenistan’s past has long remained hidden from our understanding. This is the extraordinary story of a starkly beautiful land, its unique culture, and the wonderful people who now call it home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOffers the surprising historical links between Turkmenistan and Genghis Khan, the Soviet Empire and the Silk Road\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvides insight into this lesser known country at the crossroads of East and West\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the author of \u003cem\u003eBorneo\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eStar and Key\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRidge and Vale\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eGlory, Faith and Sorrow\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56369236214133,"sku":"9781805265818","price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781805265818_6f20a265-1c4e-405f-b92b-a70b0378da80.jpg?v=1786028331"},{"product_id":"glory-faith-and-sorrow","title":"Glory, Faith and Sorrow","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe extraordinary history of a unique country and its diverse and resilient people, capturing the nation’s adventurous story from distant origins to the present day.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePeru’s story is written in stone and gold, triumph and tragedy. It is the history of a land blessed by the sun and cursed by ambition.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a vivid account of one of the world’s most significant yet least understood nations, from ancient times to today. Interweaving the stories of Peru’s three distinct geographical zones—the parched coast, the soaring Andes and the vast, near-impenetrable jungle—Olivier Hein uncovers the successive civilisations that forged the country’s unique identity. More than just a chronicle of emperors and battles, \u003cem\u003eGlory, Faith and Sorrow\u003c\/em\u003e brings to life the visionaries and warriors, the priests and rebels who shaped this extraordinary nation. He captures the dizzying rise of the Inca Empire, an unrivalled South American powerhouse whose architectural wonders rivalled Rome, only to be shattered by a handful of single-minded conquistadors. 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But dig deeper and you find a remarkable story of action and conflict, migration and innovation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRidge and Vale\u003c\/em\u003e reveals how these gentle limestone hills and valleys have played an outsized role in British history. Olivier Hein vividly brings to life the ancient tribes, wool merchants, monks, soldiers and monarchs who transformed this unique landscape—from hill forts and Roman roads to medieval market towns and industrial villages. Rich in natural resources and strategically located, the Cotswolds have always been a crossroads of power struggles and social change: a key battleground of the Wars of the Roses and the English Civil War, a wartime base for US troops, and home to important British intelligence, Army and Navy facilities. But above all, this is a region with an extraordinary capacity for reinvention, reimagining itself over time as an agricultural powerhouse, trading hub, upscale rural retreat and much more besides. As the twenty-first century brings new challenges, including overtourism and climate change, the Cotswolds must once again adapt in order to thrive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the Cotswolds as never told before: not as a quaint footnote but as a region that profoundly shaped Britain.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe perfect book for those hoping to visit the Cotswolds and learn more about its untold history\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrings to life the ancient tribes, monks, wool merchants, soldiers and monarchs who transformed this unique landscape\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOlivier Hein is a historian and author of many books. 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