Hard Times in Paradise: The History of Seychelles 1827-1919

Author(s): William McAteer

Location(s): Seychelles

Genre(s): Historical

Era(s): 1827-1919

“Hard Times in Paradise” describes life in the Seychelles islands under the British, first as a Dependency of Mauritius and later as one of the Empire’s smallest Crown colonies. The story opens in 1827, the year that saw the first British troops land in Seychelles, and ends just after the First World War. This is a book for both the general reader and the student. It contains detailed notes and sources to supplement the main text, together with short biographies of more than 65 personalities who played a role in this period of Seychelles history. There are also 16 pages of photographs, several of which have not been previously published. This is the second book in McAteer’s trilogy on the history of the Seychelles, and is based on original research from around the world. It covers the British efforts to end the Indian Ocean slave trade, as well as the period when the islands were a centre for whaling; ships came from as far away as Boston, USA, to seek out whales in the Indian Ocean.

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