By the time of his death, Thomas Stamford Raffles (1781-1826) was the founder of Singapore & Governor of Java, having left school in his early teens to become a clerk for the British East India Company. Charismatic & daring, Raffles forged an extraordinary path for himself in South East Asia
- refusing to be satisfied with the trading posts available to the British, he defied Dutch governors & wrangled with warring local rulers to establish what is now a world city. An ardent linguist & zoologist, Raffles spoke fluent Malay & found time to write The History of Java, as well as naming several species of flora & fauna he discovered on his travels. He founded London Zoo & promoted the study of Malay alongside European languages in Southeast Asia. Raffles remains a controversial figure
- a utopian imperialist, disobedient employee & knight of the realm who died deeply in debt, predeceased by all but one of his children. He built racial segregation into his urban planning, but was also a staunch abolitionist. Renowned biographer Victoria Glendinning charts Raffles` prodigious rise in this new edition, specially updated for the bicentenary of the foundation of Singapore in 1819. His life was short, complicated & shot through with tragedy, but Raffles` fame lives on.