The Last Island

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A journey to North Sentinel Island, home to the isolated Sentinelese tribe, reveals their desire for solitude, as they defend their territory with deadly arrows against intruders. This island symbolizes the last chapter of the Age of Discovery, standing firm against the encroachment of modernity. In November 2018, an American missionary was killed while attempting to visit, calling the island “Satan’s last stronghold,” which captivated global attention and highlighted the existence of unspoiled places in our technologically advanced world. Two decades earlier, historian and journalist Adam Goodheart visited the Andaman Islands, witnessing another isolated tribe's first encounter with modernity. Now, as a bestselling historian, Goodheart returns to explore the Andamans, weaving a narrative that spans time and place. He recounts the stories of those drawn to North Sentinel’s enigma, from imperial adventurers to eccentric photographers and contemporary anthropologists, while detailing the tragic fates of other Andaman tribes meeting the outside world. This beautifully written work serves as a meditation on the end of the Age of Discovery and the onset of a new millennium, appealing to readers intrigued by the complexities and risks of our interconnected global society.