The Gardens of Mars by John Gimlette

Author: John Gimlette

Title: The Gardens Of Mars 

Publisher: Apollo 

Published: 2021

Pages: 464

Genre: Nonfiction / History 

     A journey - both historical and contemporary - among the fantastical landscapes, beguiling creatures, and isolated tribes of the world's fourth island: Madagascar. An improbable world beckons. We think we know Madagascar but it's too big, too eccentric, and too impenetrable to be truly understood. If it was stretched out across Europe, the islands would reach from London to Algiers, and yet its road network is barely bigger than tiny Jamaica's. There is no evidence of any human life until about 10,000 years ago, and, when eventually people settled, it was migrants from Borneo - 3,700 miles away - who came out on top. As well as visiting every corner of Madagascar, John Gimlette journeys deep into its past in order to better understand how Madagascar became what it is today. Along the way, he meets politicians, sorcerors, gem prospectors, militiamen, rioters, lepers, and the descendants of seventeenth-century pirates.

     I suppose if I'm completely honest reading is the second big love of my life. I know I know but what can you do, travel has such a hold on my heart that I will take pretty much any opportunity to do it. Now sometimes that is small and other times that means jumping on a plane and flying off to some exotic location. I enjoy immersing myself into the local culture and especially the food of any given region. The thing is Im not one of those people who can go and sit on a beach for five days and then come back. I want to know about the history of a place and why it is the way it is when I have come to find myself there. So that's where the reading comes in. Finding books that can educate me on a partial location always feel my heart with joy. Now as of this moment, I have no plans to be flying off to Madagascar. But when I came across this book I realized that most of my idea of this place was based on an animated movie. Which let be honest whilst it is funny really isn't the best at telling you anything about the country itself at all. So I figure it was probably as good a time as any to try and learn a little bit more about this amazing place. 

     Now it would be safe to say the author has not tackled the writing of this book like most. Rather than sitting at home with piles of sources and bashing out a complete history of the island, he rather went there and placed his boots firmly on the ground. Right off the bat, we have a slight diversion from the norm. This book then becomes part history of Madagascar and part travel guide. For me, I think it really brings this book to life as he talks about the landscapes he travels through and also the people he meets along the way. It helps to give a connection to this island's past and goes a long way toward explaining why and how the island has become what it is today. And I suppose it also changes the way that this book feels like to read. It comes across more like one of those great breeds of new travel shows where they place far more emphasis on explaining about a country rather than just hitting these great holiday spots and never really knowing anything about a place. And for me, that is the real joy of going anyway.

     Gimlette has really done a great job of delivering a fun and informative narrative when it comes to the history of Madagascar. Each section is broken down into a specific part of the island and with that we get to learn about the people who inhabit it but also how it ties into the history of the island as a whole. In fairness, I had no idea how much bigger it was than the island I  call home. But I guess that goes back to the point that most world maps don't show places in their true size. But here it works well in taking a great deal of information about this country and breaking it down into something that is much easier to take in. He captivates you with these amazing tales of kings and queens of the past and invading forces from places close and far from this island.  So by the end, I was safe in the knowledge that whilst I may not be able to recite endless remes about this amazing country I would be able to say that I knew more than a film was ever going to tell me. And in all honesty, I think this book taught me how little I know about that part of the world. And whilst I did feel about that I remind myself that is why I read so I can feel in these blanks and give myself a much great idea of this spinning rock we all call home 

     If you have ever found yourself curious about this amazing place be that from a film or one of Sir David Attenborough's documentaries then I reckon this book might just be a joy to read. It will fill in those high blanks in your knowledge. And for modern-day visitors, it will show a place beyond the holiday resorts and flashy breakfast buffets. It gives us a history that for most people probably doesn't even cross their minds. After all it's an island off the coast of Africa that at first glance appears to have had no standing in any major world events. But never the less holds a history just as unique as its amazing wildlife.