By the time you’ve read this book, you’ll not only know the entire history of Sri Lanka and its people, you’ll feel as though you’ve travelled to every corner of the island, including the least desirable ones. The dedication and indefatigability of the author made me want to rephrase the old Heineken strapline to ‘John Gimlette: reaches the parts of Sri Lanka other travellers cannot reach.’ Gimlette had spent some time preparing for his odyssey, so by the time he sets foot on Sri Lankan soil, he is better connected than most Sri Lankans even. He meets a rich cast of characters: politicians, ex-soldiers, intellectuals, Sinhalese, Tamils and more, never shying away from the chequered modern history of Asian’s longest running civil war. You will not read a more incisive, better researched book about this fascinating island nation.