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thegrimtidings's review against another edition
4.0
I was very pleased with the focus of this book - I worried by focusing on governance specifically as a topic, this would not serve as the general whistlestop through Empire that I was hoping it would be, but Williams uses the stories of her chosen governors as a means to tell Empire's story and it is effective. As a means of viewing Empire through a somewhat digestible narrative, this book is perfect and I would recommend to anyone interested in the topic.
There must be about a dozen governors covered in this book, each with his own separate chapter. Some of them are more interesting than others - I loved in particular Flora Shaw and Lugard, and the Tennysons from whose chapters I could just detect Williams' passion for her subject. By the end of the book a decent sum of the Empire has been covered and seen - at least through the lens of these often unfortunate colonists. I wonder how Williams chose which governors to feature in her book; certainly while the concluding chapter speaks of the failures and evils of empire, from this book alone not much of it could be seen. The men we follow are broadly sympathetic in their aims, not the callous Flashman-type colonists who they may succeed. I would've liked to see the darker underbelly of Empire, covering the lives of those who we may not feel sympathy for, but I can see why they were not included. Broadly speaking the purpose of this account is to dig up forgotten names and remember them for the efforts they put into their cause.
If I could make one change I would've liked to see a chapter threading everything together back in London. We frequently see exchanges between governors and the foreign secretaries, civil servants, etc. back in Westminster but they remain the illusive figure behind everything. I would've liked to see how this element of imperial governance worked in practice too
There must be about a dozen governors covered in this book, each with his own separate chapter. Some of them are more interesting than others - I loved in particular Flora Shaw and Lugard, and the Tennysons from whose chapters I could just detect Williams' passion for her subject. By the end of the book a decent sum of the Empire has been covered and seen - at least through the lens of these often unfortunate colonists. I wonder how Williams chose which governors to feature in her book; certainly while the concluding chapter speaks of the failures and evils of empire, from this book alone not much of it could be seen. The men we follow are broadly sympathetic in their aims, not the callous Flashman-type colonists who they may succeed. I would've liked to see the darker underbelly of Empire, covering the lives of those who we may not feel sympathy for, but I can see why they were not included. Broadly speaking the purpose of this account is to dig up forgotten names and remember them for the efforts they put into their cause.
If I could make one change I would've liked to see a chapter threading everything together back in London. We frequently see exchanges between governors and the foreign secretaries, civil servants, etc. back in Westminster but they remain the illusive figure behind everything. I would've liked to see how this element of imperial governance worked in practice too
dvdmcn's review against another edition
2.0
That was a slog!
Interesting at points but also just A LOT!
Need something lighter to refind my joy!
Interesting at points but also just A LOT!
Need something lighter to refind my joy!
librarianonparade's review
4.0
The life of a governor of one of the British Empire's many, varied and far-flung colonial outposts was very far from easy, as this fascinating book illustrates. Quite apart from the obvious cultural divides, governors had to deal with tropical diseases, cold, heat, monsoons, droughts, famine, friction between natives of different races, creeds and castes, European merchants and planters, the British colonial administration, the military, and very often their own families. Some found themselves governing established and orderly administrations in the 'white' colonies, such as Australia and Canada, where luxury and decadence were the order of the day. Others found colonies that lacked almost any semblance of order or indeed what they might recognise as 'civilisation' - no towns or cities, no amenities, no railways, hospitals, schools, and few roads.
Life as a colonial governor could make or break not just a career but the very soul of a man. For some of the individuals examined in this book it was a chance to truly make a difference, whether in hindsight for good or evil; some rose to the challenge and some failed miserably, driven to the edge of madness. Most were men who by and large believed whole-heartedly in the good the Empire could do, men of a striking paternalistic attitude, some of whom built cities and civilisations from the ground up, and some who came very close to knocking a few down.
Williams rarely touches on the dark side of colonialism, and barring a few asides here and there, there is very little comment of the morality of the Empire itself. This book is not the place to find a damning commentary on western imperialism and empire-building. But it does shed a little light on the - I hesitate to use the phrase 'unsung heroes', since that is an immensely debatable and contentious issue - men who formed the backbone of the British Empire and made it what it was, for better or worse.
Life as a colonial governor could make or break not just a career but the very soul of a man. For some of the individuals examined in this book it was a chance to truly make a difference, whether in hindsight for good or evil; some rose to the challenge and some failed miserably, driven to the edge of madness. Most were men who by and large believed whole-heartedly in the good the Empire could do, men of a striking paternalistic attitude, some of whom built cities and civilisations from the ground up, and some who came very close to knocking a few down.
Williams rarely touches on the dark side of colonialism, and barring a few asides here and there, there is very little comment of the morality of the Empire itself. This book is not the place to find a damning commentary on western imperialism and empire-building. But it does shed a little light on the - I hesitate to use the phrase 'unsung heroes', since that is an immensely debatable and contentious issue - men who formed the backbone of the British Empire and made it what it was, for better or worse.