The Dead Yard - by Ian Thomson (Paperback)

About the Book

Details the most famous aspects of Jamaica, the music and its culture, as well as the Island's history, including the slave trade operated by Britain. Since independence in 1962, Jamaica has acquired a twin image as a resort-style travel Eden and as a new kind of Hell, presided over by drug lords. In seeking to answer the question of what lies between, the author talked with Jamaicans who are trying to make a difference: writers, priests, and musicians.

Book Synopsis

Named the Dolman Travel Book of the Year, The Dead Yard paints an unforgettable portrait of modern Jamaica. Since independence, Jamaica has gradually become associated with twin images--a resort-style travel Eden for foreigners and a new kind of hell for Jamaicans, a society where gangs control the areas where most Jamaicans live and drug lords like Christopher Coke rule elites and the poor alike.

Ian Thomson's brave book explores a country of lost promise, where America's hunger for drugs fuels a dependent economy and shadowy politics. The lauded birthplace of reggae and Bob Marley, Jamaica is now sunk in corruption and hopelessness. A synthesis of vital history and unflinching reportage, The Dead Yard is "a fascinating account of a beautiful, treacherous country" (Irish Times).

About the Author

Ian Thomson is the author of Primo Levi, which won the Royal Society of Literature's W. H. Heinemann Award in 2003. He lives in London.