Zambia Then And Now Colonial Rulers and their African Successors

Written by a member of the last generation of British Colonial Service Officers in Africa, the book seeks to place both colonial rulers and their African successors in the context of history and the circumstances of their time, viewing their achievements and failures critically but not unsympathetically and comparing colonial society with that of the independent African country that Northern Rhodesia has become. Colonialism is viewed at the day to day level of the administration of a rural district by four officers and a handful of African district messengers, who worked together without even a telephone to assist them. With a wealth of detail that can only come from experience, Grant?s work makes an important contribution to the understanding of a time, place, period and practices that are only now being considered in a balanced way.

Part A: Memoirs of a Colonial District Officer, 1958 To 1961 1. Beginnings 2. People and Powers 3. The Place 4. Law and Order 5. The Job 6. Africans 7. District Officer on Tour 8. Events 9. Domestic Arrangements and Pastimes 10. Reflections 11. Endings Part B: From British Colony to Independence and Beyond 12. Zambian Politics, 1950 to 2006 Part C: Zambia Now: Impressions of a Retired District Officer, Returning 45 Years Later 13. Diary of a Bwana Who Came Back, from June 24th to July 25th, 2006 14. Zambia’s Economy 15. From Then to Now: What Has Changed

William Grant studied History at Edinburgh University, Scotland, and was, from 1958 to 1961, one of the last generation of British Colonial Service Officers in what was then Northern Rhodesia. After leaving the service, he has taught History, Economics and Politics in Scotland, Canada, China and Switzerland.