The object of this little book is to give, in simple language, the story of Ceylon – of its fame in the ancient times, of the people who lived then, the conquest of the Sinhalese by the Portuguese and the by the Dutch and then in 1796 by the British. This book has 53 short chapters that notice, among other events and personalities, Vijaya the conqueror, the first Tamil invasion, progress in art and literature, Vajaya Bahu I, arrival of the Portuguese, the Kandian kingdom, Robert Knox in Ceylon, the end of Dutch rule, the Ehelapola tragedy, etc. The last 4 chapter offer a chronological account of the history from 1837 to 1931. There are 5 tables that decline the list of the kings of the Mahavamsa, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British governors. A general map of the countries surrounding Ceylon accompanies the text. This book is a reprint of the 1933 edition.