A Road to Extinction is a plea for the survival of a group of palaeolithic tribespeople who, against the odds, have managed to retain their extraordinary culture in the forests of the Andaman Islands, 400 miles off the coast of Burma in the Indian Ocean. The Andamans were taken over by the British in the late 1850s for the purpose of building a penal settlement following the Indian Mutiny, and my family was involved for several years in the islands' administration. They now belong to India. Views of the Raj generate argument and I feel differently from most contemporary Indian historians and those whose subjects are imperialism, Indian nationalism and human rights. To rake over the past on this occasion is to miss the point, however, even if there is a case for saying that the ills of the islanders are part of Britain’s colonial legacy. The point that now needs to be addressed is that a group of islanders, whose origins can be traced back 100,000 years and who have resisted all efforts to accommodate them into modern civilization, are at risk of extinction and there is currently no meaningful plan to protect their interests, other than by doing exactly what they do not want and engaging them in development programmes and giving them handouts. Irrespective of mistakes the British may have made in the past, India has had exclusive responsibility for these tribespeople for nearly 70 years and during this time its involvement has been a complete and destructive failure. India needs to recognise the urgency of the situation and intercede, at last, to give the people the security but also the privacy that they require, encouraged if necessary by other sovereign states. PETER HENNESSY (Historian): ‘An absorbing and intriguing story, beautifully presented.’JOHN SIMPSON (World Affairs Editor, BBC News): ‘Five generations of Jonathan Lawley’s family have known and served in the Andaman Islands. Now, the Indian authorities have built an illegal road for tourists to gawp at the Jarawa, who wear no clothes and use bows and arrows to hunt. Jonathan Lawley’s account of what has happened is deeply moving and deserves our attention and our support.’MATTHEW PARRIS (Writer and Broadcaster):‘A book of anthropological importance, with a message pivotal to the survival of an indigenous island society on the edge of extinction, written with invaluable insight from the author’s own family history in connection with the islands. A fine balance of information and passion.’ CHRISTOPHER MATTHEW (Writer and Broadcaster): ‘By turns astonishing and deeply troubling. Dr Lawley’s book is truly a revelation.’SIR RICHARD LUCE (Former UK Government Minister): ‘Jonathan Lawley is ideally qualified to tell the story of the Jawara tribe. His long family history in India and the Andamans, plus his own distinguished service as an Administrator in southern Africa, enables him to describe with realistic empathy the tribe’s wish to continue its unique way of life without disturbance from the rest of us. For anyone interested in the remarkable diversity of our planet, reading A Road to Extinction is a must. It is a fascinating book and I strongly recommend it.’HUGH TYNDALE-BISCOE (Former Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO): ‘In this new book Jonathan Lawley has turned his attention to the colonial service of his own family in India and the Andaman Islands, tracing the story of the islands and their aboriginal inhabitants through to the present day. It is a fascinating but sombre tale.’JOHN SMITH (Colonial Historian): ‘A gripping mix of history, memoir and polemic about a people who have managed to avoid all that has happened to most of humanity over the last 60,000 years. Dr Lawley pleads powerfully that their wishes to remain apart be respected and makes it clear that if they are not, contact with our civilization will kill them.’MICHAEL HOLMAN (Former Africa Editor, The Financial Times): ‘A compelling appeal for the world.’

A Road to Extinction: Can Palaeolithic Africans survive in the Andaman Islands?

Biographies & Memoirs

Lawley, Jonathan

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Michael Holman's eye-witness reports on the state of sub-Saharan Africa for the Financial Times and other media provide rare insights into the region’s post-independence successes and setbacks. From his accounts of the atrocities committed by Rhodesian forces in the 1960s to his interviews with those who would lead Africa into its own future and assessments of how they actually performed—often in obituaries—Postmark Africa brings together a lifetime of running commentaries on a continent he grew up in, knows acutely and loves dearly. Written with the benefit of unique access, Holman’s writings still hold out hope for Africa, in spite of decades of disappointment at the structural mismanagement of the nations themselves, the destructive policies of donor countries and other funders, and the hateful legacy of colonialism. ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH: “If you want to see what a good man in Africa has done, read this book. It contains profound observations of real and lasting significance on virtually every page …” JOHN GITHONGO: "Throughout his career as a journalist and author, Michael has been a rebel with a clear cause. He has a seamless capacity to get under the African skin, and a ruthless insight for sniffing out what's working, even though it may not look it, and what's an utter waste of time, even though no one else will admit. He has brought this insight and unapologetic attitude in his quest for the truth to everything he has ever done, on and for Africa. All of it is informed by a deep sense of empathy for the land of his upbringing, warts and all, and a biting sense of humour …" SIR MALCOLM RIFKIND: “This book should be read by anyone who not only wants to know the history of central and southern Africa but to understand its people, black and white. They are a fine people and in Michael they have had an honest, articulate and worthy champion, as rigorous, objective and professional in this book as he was in his journalism as Africa Correspondent for the Financial Times. He has an energy and an eloquence in recording not just what he knows or has analysed but also what he feels to be the reality of his homeland’s tragic experience both under white, colonial domination and the black-led governments that followed …” ED BALLS: "Africa has no fiercer critic and no greater advocate than Michael Holman. Passionate, sometimes angry but also caring and often hilarious, Michael Holman once again delivers his trademark combination of beautiful prose and compelling story-telling. This book is both a delight and a tragic tale of hopes still unfulfilled …”

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