About the Book

Spiky, Like a Durian traces the remarkable journey of James Richardson Logan - from a modest Scottish farmhouse to the courtrooms and newspaper offices of colonial Penang. Armed with the idealism of a reformer and the pen of a provocateur, Logan challenged the complacency of empire through the law and the pages of his Pinang Gazette, defending pirates and sultans, exposing colonial abuse, and pursuing justice where others looked away. Forged at the crossroads of law, loyalty, and legacy, his voice resonates still.

Why This Book?

·A Scotsman who made Penang his life's work. Born in the hills of Berwickshire, Logan became the most prominent legal mind in the Straits Settlements - a journey as unlikely as it is compelling.

· A reformer in the age of empire. Logan used the law and the press to challenge colonial power at a time when few dared to do so.

· The man behind the Pinang Gazette. As editor and publisher, Logan turned his newspaper into a weapon for justice, exposing abuse and giving voice to the powerless.

· Pirates, sultans and colonial courts. His cases read like fiction - but every word is history.

· A story with deep Penang roots. Logan's legacy is woven into the fabric of the city; this is the book that finally does it justice.

· A 19th-century voice that still resonates. His fight against unchecked power and his defence of the vulnerable feel as relevant today as they did in colonial Malaya.