Ian Morson writes to entertain, not to educate, his readers. What were these two islands like in the late 18th century? How did the people live? How does Francis Light connect the histories of the two? The author gives a historically true account of Francis Light’s 15 years in Phuket before he moved on to found Penang. The account is written with humour and portrays the peoples of the islands as they were between 1770 and 1794. The author also depicts some of the pomposity and corruption, widespread in those days, by British and Asian officials alike.
There is, towards the close of the narrative, an intriguing connection between Phuket, Penang and the founder of the City of Adelaide in Australia.
The narrative contains some hitherto unpublished eye witness accounts of events in 1791. Although the facts are correct, this is history written for enjoyment and amusement.
