A hero of the Second World War and later minister and co-ordinator of the Joint Economic Committee of his country, Maurice Patureau was a man of duty and a leader respected and listened to by all. An extremely hard worker with unparalleled strength of character, he clear-sightedly orchestrated the strategic decisions that raised Mauritius to the first rank of the emerging economies of the second half of the 20th century. With his strong sense of moral and social responsibility, he favoured a more equal distribution of wealth and the separation of legislative, executive and judiciary powers. This generously illustrated work recounts the life of this exceptional man who was both a visionary and a patriot and who left a decisive mark on the development of his country. Today Maurice Patureau is still the object of great admiration among his fellow citizens, both for his courage and generosity and for the modesty, he showed in his dealings with others.