An excerpt from 'Royal Symbols & Rivalries at the Court of Antananarivo Under the Reign of Radama II'. Nicolas Martin reiterates, renews, or updates 'Royal Symbols & Rivalries at the Court of Antananarivo Under the Reign of Radama II'. The improved version, published this year after the first in 2021, appears richer in images, design, and especially enriched with additional information. In 103 pages, he delves into the details of Radama II's reign. This king 'granted as many favors to the French as to the English,' he explains regarding his book. The established version holds that this monarch was a sort of 'inveterate Francophile'. This would have led to his death. In his work, Nicolas Martin highlights several historical figures: police minister Razafinkarefo, interior minister Raharolahy, Jean Laborde, Bishop Vincent-William Ryan, and many others. One might believe that Madagascar interested foreign 'powers' for ages. In the case of the Great Island, the French and the English. And also the churches of these two colonial powers, with illustrations dating back two centuries. Far from being a library or living-room decoration for trendy bourgeois, 'Royal Symbols & Rivalries at the Court of Antananarivo Under the Reign of Radama II' is read, devoured, and broadens horizons. As for the author, he is basically a windsurfing specialist and lives from this profession. 'In fact, the money I earn from my activity, I spend it on my books,' Nicolas Martin says with passion.