Alex Scott thought he knew all there was to be known about the riots that saw a State of Emergency declared in Bermuda. Having read Jonathan Smith’s book, Island Flames, the former Premier is no longer so sure.

According to Mr Scott, many more Bermudians — until now restricted by limited access to information about those historic few weeks — will now have to reassess what they thought they knew.

“I believe anyone and everyone who thought they understood the events that led to the riots here would have to rethink their whole position because Island Flames puts a whole new light on that point of history,” he said.

Island Flames examines the political murders, executions and chronic race problems that lead up to the riots and, according to Mr Smith, the book has seen unprecedented interest.

“I think the reason that it is enjoying unprecedented interest is because Bermudians are hungry for answers,” said Mr Scott, who was also interviewed for the book.

“They have in the past had limited historic references, books, essays, to provide them with the data they need to understand where we are and where we are going.

“Now comes an accomplished person, a former senator, a former police commissioner, and obviously accomplished author, who has put it all in 360 pages in a neat package for us to revisit history and come to our own conclusions.”

After the 1977 riots, in which three people were killed in a fire at The Fairmont Southampton, the Pitt Commission was established to investigate the underlying social causes of the disturbances and recommended sweeping and significant reforms to Bermuda’s social and political structure.

Mr Scott was part of the commission along with Lord David Pitt, Walter Robinson, John Pearman, Reginald Cooper and Michael Banton.

“If you listen to the talk shows, there are folks going on about what should happen and why this didn’t happen but generally there is an absence of facts,” he said.

According to Mr Scott, Island Flames provides the facts, but also sheds light on the issue of race.

“In Bermuda, race is very much like a quagmire — if you touch it, if you even start to discuss it, you can get bogged down in it.”

But he added: “You need to have an informed and intellectual appreciation and understanding of the racial dynamics and divide here in Bermuda to be able to put historic events in perspective.

Referring to the racial component but also understanding the political and economic circumstances that contributed to that event in addition to our racial divide. There is no argument we had one but it does not explain everything.”

Mr Scott described Island Flames as “a brilliant exercise in discovery” and “modern-day whodunnit” that he would recommend as a reference book for the Bermuda College and schools Island-wide because it highlights a period in Bermuda’s history that proved to be crucial in redirecting governance.

Mr Scott said he grew up in a Bermuda that was rigidly segregated, where it was accepted that blacks could not go to certain hotels, schools or get jobs and the newspaper would have advertisements stating “whites only need apply”. But he said those who came after the Pitt Commission would have experienced a different set of parliamentary conditions.

“My children, who are 30 and 40 years old, have never seen anything like that. There is no place they can’t go, there’s no job within reason they can’t have. Their father has been the Premier of the country — couldn’t have happened in the earlier years. That’s why Jonathan makes the point that the younger generation need to know about this.”

Mr Scott also applauded Mr Smith for having the courage to speak to the issue of race in Bermuda. “My first thoughts when I sat and talked with Jonathan about Island Flames was that he was certainly a candidate for what had been the late John F Kennedy’s, president of the US, Profiles in Courage because president Kennedy had said at some point, ‘those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable’.

“When I said it took a lot of courage, I was speaking to the issue of race here in Bermuda. Jonathan has been forthright, Jonathan is outspoken, Jonathan is circumspect, Jonathan is not reckless with language, in actual fact he is very precise and concise with language and he will take on any discussion without fear or favour.”

Mr Scott said this has not been the practice, especially of the white community in Bermuda. “I am certain that there are those who will have said, maybe some black but probably very definitely white, that said, ‘Why did you write this book? Why did you bring these issues up? This has been settled, this will just stir people up’. “No, this will make people think, this will make people aware, this will say ‘I may happen to be white, but I am conscious of the importance of our historic successes and failings’.

“And only when we can have a sit-down and discuss and debate objectively our history and our successes and our failures, only then will Bermuda be able to move forward.”

A book launch for Island Flames will be held today at Brown & Co at 6.30pm