The Tragedy of Madagascar: An Island Nation Confronts the 21st Century

by Nathaniel Adams

Overview

Why has Madagascar has failed to make any meaningful progress since independence? A mix of journalism and scholarship, the book is the result of almost nine months spent on the ground in Madagascar travelling and interviewing a wide range of political leaders at the national and local levels, including an unprecedented interview with the country’s former president, Marc Ravalomanana. The book takes as its point of departure the military coup in 2009 that replaced Ravalomanana with Andry Rajoelina, and all of the negative aftershocks that followed, as well as including chapters on the bleak economic prospects of young people across the island, the unsustainable population growth that threatens so much of its future and a unique chapter on the effects of climate change on the southern region of Madagascar, where worsening droughts have left millions in humanitarian peril.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781789048759
Publisher:	Collective Ink
Publication date:	11/25/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	416
File size:	918 KB

About the Author

Nathaniel Adams is an attorney in the United States who has traveled to over 25 developing countries to pursue various business and personal interests. He spent over eight months in Madagascar in 2019 researching this book, his first. He lives in Hudson, OH.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Discovery and The First Kingdoms 32

Chapter 2 The Coup 74

Chapter 3 The Return of Rajoelina 132

Chapter 4 Trapped In Poverty 183

Chapter 5 Where Will All These Kids Work? 246

Chapter 6 The Great South 301

Epilogue 353

Author Biography 387

Editorial Reviews

Adams's book is incredibly insightful and will be valuable for Malagasy leaders, its people, and the international community. It is well-written and well-researched, provides an in-depth picture of modern Madagascar, and is a wonderful contribution to the historical literature of the country. It sheds new light on the progress of democracy in a developing country and the responsibilities of our leaders and the Western countries. A great read for anyone interested in Madagascar's past and its future.

Monja Roindefo Zafitsimivalo

The Tragedy of Madagascar by Nathaniel Adams offers an unparalleled and thrillingly bold examination of the island's past, present and future.

Netgalley

The South of Madagascar has been struggling for years to find enough water to feed all of the people in the region. In his new book about the island, Nathaniel Adams has written an important chapter about climate change in the Great South, one that beautifully tells the stories of the millions of people here trying to survive in an unforgiving land.

Vital Batubilema

Adams's general introduction to a country that remains largely ignored by English-language scholars and journalists is welcome. As Adams makes clear, electoral politics in the country have been dominated by intra-elite personal conflicts and successive governments have been self-serving and ineffective...An excellent final chapter focuses on the southern half of the island, which faces a looming environmental disaster thanks to a combination of global warming and the central government's persistent neglect.

Foreign Affairs magazine

The Tragedy of Madagascar is a must read for anyone who cares about the fascinating, beguiling, maddening red island off the coast of Africa - or for anyone who wonders why so many forgotten, seemingly invisible people are trapped in poverty across the globe. With a sharp eye for detail, analysis, and storytelling, Adams is an expert guide who brings the island to life. There are few books about Madagascar, and this one will quickly become the go-to book to understand the island's history, its politics, and its depressing trajectory. A fascinating, well-written read.

Brian Klaas

The Tragedy of Madagascar by Nathaniel Adams offers an unparalleled and thrillingly bold examination of the island's past, present and future.

NetGalley review

The Tragedy of Madagascar is a must read for anyone who cares about the fascinating, beguiling, maddening red island off the coast of Africa - or for anyone who wonders why so many forgotten, seemingly invisible people are trapped in poverty across the globe. With a sharp eye for detail, analysis, and storytelling, Adams is an expert guide who brings the island to life. There are few books about Madagascar, and this one will quickly become the go-to book to understand the island's history, its politics, and its depressing trajectory. A fascinating, well-written read.

Brian Klass