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Review
[A] meticulously researched, coldly furious book that details precisely how London and Washington colluded in a scheme of population removal more redolent of the eighteenth or nineteenth century than the closing decades of the twentieth. . . . [O]ne likes to think that if Barack Obama were somehow to stumble across a copy of David Vine's fine book, he would instantly realize that a great injustice has been done--one that could easily be put right. -- Jonathan Freedland, New York Review of Books
This angry and angering book is well researched, compelling, and valuable to understanding and emerging US 'empire.' -- "Choice
For Vine imperialism, military prerogative and racism have all combined to deny a people a home simply because they were in the way. His succinct style and controlled outrage make for a damning indictment. -- Phil Chamberlain, Tribune
Island of Shame is not just a gut-wrenching account of how a tropical paradise of powder-white beaches and palm fronds was turned into a massive launch pad for America's military expansionist programme. A large chunk of the book is devoted to how the Chagossians came to build their complex but happy society in the islands and the resulting tragedy of their displacement. Above all, Vine is a top flight researcher. . . . We owe Vine a great debt for shining his light on this island of horrors. -- Latha Jishnu, Business Standard
David Vine's story of the Chagossians is an exemplary piece of both socially embedded reportage and investigative journalism, despite a tendency to indulge in the self-conscious idiom of academic ethnography and reflexive criticism of US 'imperialism.' At heart, however, he speaks truth to power. Power, though, is not listening. -- Colin Murphy, Irish Times
David Vine . . . has rendered high service by writing a thoroughly documented expose of the crime, which the world has ignored because one of its perpetrators is a superpower, the U.S., and its accomplice, the U.K. -- A. G. Noorani, Frontline
Vine's important and timely book sheds welcome light on this dark chapter of U.S. military history, questioning the way our military operates and its impact on civilian populations. -- Katherine McCaffrey, American Anthropologist
This angry and angering book is well researched, compelling, and valuable to understanding and emerging US 'empire.' -- "Choice
For Vine imperialism, military prerogative and racism have all combined to deny a people a home simply because they were in the way. His succinct style and controlled outrage make for a damning indictment. -- Phil Chamberlain, Tribune
Island of Shame is not just a gut-wrenching account of how a tropical paradise of powder-white beaches and palm fronds was turned into a massive launch pad for America's military expansionist programme. A large chunk of the book is devoted to how the Chagossians came to build their complex but happy society in the islands and the resulting tragedy of their displacement. Above all, Vine is a top flight researcher. . . . We owe Vine a great debt for shining his light on this island of horrors. -- Latha Jishnu, Business Standard
David Vine's story of the Chagossians is an exemplary piece of both socially embedded reportage and investigative journalism, despite a tendency to indulge in the self-conscious idiom of academic ethnography and reflexive criticism of US 'imperialism.' At heart, however, he speaks truth to power. Power, though, is not listening. -- Colin Murphy, Irish Times
David Vine . . . has rendered high service by writing a thoroughly documented expose of the crime, which the world has ignored because one of its perpetrators is a superpower, the U.S., and its accomplice, the U.K. -- A. G. Noorani, Frontline
Vine's important and timely book sheds welcome light on this dark chapter of U.S. military history, questioning the way our military operates and its impact on civilian populations. -- Katherine McCaffrey, American Anthropologist
Product Description
The American military base on the island of Diego Garcia is one of the most strategically important and secretive U.S. military installations outside the United States. Located near the remote center of the Indian Ocean and accessible only by military transport, the little-known base has been instrumental in American military operations from the Cold War to the war on terror and may house a top-secret CIA prison where terror suspects are interrogated and tortured. But Diego Garcia harbors another dirty secret, one that has been kept from most of the world--until now.
Island of Shame is the first major book to reveal the shocking truth of how the United States conspired with Britain to forcibly expel Diego Garcia's indigenous people--the Chagossians--and deport them to slums in Mauritius and the Seychelles, where most live in dire poverty to this day. Drawing on interviews with Washington insiders, military strategists, and exiled islanders, as well as hundreds of declassified documents, David Vine exposes the secret history of Diego Garcia. He chronicles the Chagossians' dramatic, unfolding story as they struggle to survive in exile and fight to return to their homeland. Tracing U.S. foreign policy from the Cold War to the war on terror, Vine shows how the United States has forged a new and pervasive kind of empire that is quietly dominating the planet with hundreds of overseas military bases.
Island of Shame is an unforgettable exposé of the human costs of empire and a must-read for anyone concerned about U.S. foreign policy and its consequences. The author will donate all royalties from the sale of this book to the Chagossians.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a very well written and extremely detailed book about what two supposedly civilised nations inflicted on the defenceless Chagos Islanders. This was due (and still is) to the paranoia of one and the willingness to aid and abet of the other.
Island of Shame is to be recommended to anyone with an interest in justice and human rights because both of these elements have been absent in the treatment meted out to the Chagossians for decades.
The letter extract from Stu Barber in David Vine's chapter, Epilogue, is of great interest and I am profoundly sorry that his efforts to right the wrongs were ignored.
The Chagossians should have the right to return to their homeland and it is to our shame that they have been prevented.
B. R. Tindall
Island of Shame is to be recommended to anyone with an interest in justice and human rights because both of these elements have been absent in the treatment meted out to the Chagossians for decades.
The letter extract from Stu Barber in David Vine's chapter, Epilogue, is of great interest and I am profoundly sorry that his efforts to right the wrongs were ignored.
The Chagossians should have the right to return to their homeland and it is to our shame that they have been prevented.
B. R. Tindall
Format:Paperback
This is a detailed and well researched account of how UK and US governments conspired in the 1970's to ethnically cleanse a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Over 1000 people were forcibly removed from the Chagos Archipelago to make way for a huge US air and submarine base. It has been in the news recently because the government is trying to make things look better by declaring an MPA and using that as an excuse to prevent the Chagossians from returning.
It's a sickening story that makes me ashamed to be British. I understand that David Vine is donating the royalties from this book to the Chagossian community.
It's a sickening story that makes me ashamed to be British. I understand that David Vine is donating the royalties from this book to the Chagossian community.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
A good account of shameful behaviour of the US/UK on a small island nation
21 Oct 2011
Format:Paperback
This is a detailed and well researched account of how UK and US governments conspired in the 1970's to ethnically cleanse a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Over 1000 people were forcibly removed from the Chagos Archipelago to make way for a huge US air and submarine base. It has been in the news recently because the government is trying to make things look better by declaring an MPA and using that as an excuse to prevent the Chagossians from returning.
It's a sickening story that makes me ashamed to be British. I understand that David Vine is donating the royalties from this book to the Chagossian community.
It's a sickening story that makes me ashamed to be British. I understand that David Vine is donating the royalties from this book to the Chagossian community.
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