Only Man is Vile: The Tragedy of Sri Lanka

by William McGowan

Book Overview

Beneath the superficial charm of Sri Lanka brews a complex struggle over ethnicity which threatens to turn this beautiful land into another Lebanon. This is an account of a society consumed by the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374226520
• ISBN13: 9780374226527
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 397 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Funny, I've been thinking about

this title lately. Somehow seems relevant in the current global, I don't know what to call it, reordering. My memory of the title: precise, detailed, and patiently considered.

The best book on the subject

I have lived in Sri Lanka, and have read a great deal about its history and politics. This is by far the best book in explaining the history and causes of the ongoing civil war. I rate it Excellent.

Well-researched, but not so well written

Only Man is Vile is a thorough look at the recent history of the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict. McGowan uses many sources to examine a civil war that has continued for a long time without garnering much international attention. As someone from that part of the world (South India, quite close to Sri Lanka), though, I was struck by McGowan's seemingly imperialist attitude towards the people of Sri Lanka. Sinhalese music is described as wailing; the actions of a doctor treating a scorpion-stung woman are criticized in terms echoing those of nineteenth century missionaries. Throughout the book there seems to be an underlying tone of disdain for these peoples. Perhaps I am being oversensitive, but it does seem that at points McGowan is far from sympathizing with, leave alone understanding, the local people.