In the Shadows of the Tropics

'Anyone interested in colonialism should read this wide-ranging book, which explores the discourses and tactics of British imperial rule in the tropics. James Duncan’s broad treatment of coffee-growing in Ceylon transforms our understanding of plantation economies in the post-slavery period. In the Shadows of the Tropics blends history, geography, and political economy with cultural and environmental studies, contributing effectively to all these fields.' Lynn Hollen Lees, University of Pennsylvania, USA 'Through an extraordinary exploration of Ceylon’s coffee culture, James Duncan manages to bring before our eyes the tropical world in all its multifarious variety. By throwing a spotlight on the coffee plantation, he is able to disentangle the threads that have gone into the making of that complex geographical entity - ’the tropics’. This book is about coffee; but it is just as much about medicine and morality, bodies and sex, colonial power and worker resistance. In the Shadows of the Tropics is a work of exceptional grace and clarity, whose author manages to triangulate the moral landscape of colonial Ceylon through the everyday experiences of European planters, Tamil labourers and Sinhalese peasants. Altogether a masterly piece of cultural cartography.' David N. Livingstone, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland '...a welcome and highly significant contribution to the historical literature on Ceylon. It deserves a broad readership.' Architectural History Review