The Company's Island provides the first extended account of the role of company colonies and the difficulties they faced in meeting the requirements of the Crown whilst simultaneously attempting to run a harmonious and successful community. Focusing on the island of St Helena and the colony which sprung from the presence of the East India Company there, Stephen Royle charts the growth of a society from scratch and explores the tensions which ensued - between soldiers and settlers, whites and blacks, company interests and the interests of the Crown. A rebellion by the civilian...