Isle of Cloves

This is a hard book to review. It was of mixed amusement. As one other reviewer said:
I'm not sure why I started this and I'm not entirely sure why I finished. Recommended for no one at all, unless you have a burning need to know about the mental states and material conditions of British colonial personnel in Zanzibar in the early 50's.

There were parts which were excellent, there were parts which were terrible, and there were parts that lacked any drama or passion - it was very uneven.

Essentially, for me, it tried to be a comprehensive summary of Zanzibar at the time the author was there. He spent a year there, some time during the 1950's before 1957 when the book was published.
For me, the various chapters fit into the three categories above as such.

Excellent
From Seaward - an introduction of sorts, only escapes from ‘dull' because it is mercifully short!
A House at Mazzizini - This chapter explains the process of the authors arrival, having his house built and settling in to his way of life on Zanzibar. This chapter (number 4) was all that kept me reading by this point, in hope of more chapters like this one.
Strife - A few individual stories about life in Zanzibar, some problems and fearful moments. Again, interesting.
On the Reefs - second to last chapter, and a short one, and he finally decides to share what his job is! He is long-lining from a small boat for large fish, catching around a hundred a day. Dorado, jackfish, bonita, barracuda. He also describes his boat, the crew and the conditions of working. Quite why there is so little focus on what he actually spent his year doing, I don't know!

Terrible
Pemba - It is in this chapter the author mocks up a conversation between a husband and wife on holiday. It is pretty cringe worthy. It gets a little better where he talks about a revered magical fish in a pond it's a big freshwater eel and the leper colony part is ok too.

Dull
Sultanate - This chapter sets out to describe Colonial Zanzibar, as it was at the time of writing. It is over through, packed with excruciating detail and just too long. To those with a special interest it is probably gold, but for the general reader it numbs, sleep follows.
The Empire of Zinj - This is a charted history of Zanzibar, and wider East Africa. It covers a huge amount of ground, and I have little doubt it is accurate, but it reads as dry history.
Fast and Festival - A lot about the Muslim faith, and painstaking descriptions of festival dancing etc. Tries to be anthropological, but dull.
Awakening - A conclusion - or really an explanation of his departure. Here the author talks about the young peoples views vs the traditional, the way Zanzibar is changing and where education changes a mindset. Mercifully short again this chapter.

As so it was hit and miss. The good was really good, but four out of nine chapters wasn't really enough of a strike rate. Nice cover artwork though!

For me 3 stars, perhaps 3.5 stars