Hamish McDonald – författare

This is the riveting story of one of the wealthiest families in the world. Dhirubhai Ambani was a rags-to-riches Indian tycoon whose company Reliance, which emerged from the textile industry, is now one of India's major corporations. His sons Anil and Mukesh took over after his death in 2002 and their respective arms of the company are bigger than the parent ever was. The brothers are now worth $43 billion and $42 billion respectively, largely from petrochemicals, telecommunications, and entertainment. To say that the sibling tycoons are not close is an understatement; their feud--personal and business--is an extraordinary story itself. But as this book shows, the Ambani story tells a bigger story about modern India, not only as an economic powerhouse but about the complicated links between government and big business.

An immersive journey through the tumultuous past and fascinating present of the south-western Pacific. Stretching from Fiji in the east to New Guinea in the west, Melanesia is astonishingly diverse. Its islands are home to some 1,200 language groups, many of them still isolated from the outside world. This complex region tends to make the news only in times of crisis: military coups in Fiji, Kanak unrest in New Caledonia, rioting in the Solomon Islands. Melanesia offers readers a deeper insight into the people and places behind these headlines, combining travelogue, history and astute political analysis.By land and sea, Hamish McDonald travels from one end of Melanesia to the other, uncovering the histories, values, aspirations and tensions that have shaped the region. He examines the impact of outsiders on local communities: the Indians recruited to work in Fiji; the white ‘blackbirders’ who kidnapped Melanesians to labour in Australian cane fields; the Americans during the Second World War; the Indonesians in New Guinea. And he considers the big changes unfolding today, as shifting demographics and the growing influence of China produce a new balance of power across the region.Vividly written, Melanesia is essential reading for anyone looking to understand this fascinating part of the world and its growing international significance.