Descent into Paradise

Descent into Paradise is a riveting, deeply insightful first-hand account of life in the Maldives based on British postman-turned-journalist Daniel Bosley’s experiences living and working in the island nation for the past seven years. This journalistic travelogue takes a look at the unique country and its culture that are at risk of being drowned beneath a deluge brought on not just by climate change, but also a bloody, destructive kleptocracy and an insatiable tourism industry.

With growing polarisation of the Maldives’ international image as a dream destination vs a political pariah state, the fight for the country’s identity is raging, meaning a closer study of Maldivian society during this crucial period of its history is well overdue. Bosley moves beyond the narrow understanding of the Maldives and provides a deeper sense of what this unusual country is, was and may become through the experiences of someone who has lived there and gained an insider’s perspective. An absorbing and personal account of Maldives as a tropical autocracy, this book will shock and fascinate you in equal measure.