Symbol of Authority The British District Officer in Africa

by Kirk-Greene, Anthony

• ISBN13: 9781850434528
• ISBN10: 1850434522
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-02-20
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris

Summary

The District Officer (DO) was the pivot of Britain's Colonial Administration throughout the Empire. In the eyes of many, the DO was the government. But who were these men, called to serve in a position of such extraordinary breadth and endless generality? This is a fascinating look at this unique job through the eyes of those who undertook it. Written by a leading imperial scholar and former DO, Anthony Kirk-Greene, the book will be an essential reference for scholars of imperial history.

Author Biography

Anthony Kirk-Greene is Emeritus Fellow of St. Antony's College, Oxford, and is the author of Glimpses of Empire: a Corona Anthology (I.B.Tauris).

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	vi
Foreword	vii
J. H. Smith
Abbreviations	xi
Introduction	xv
PART I. STEPPING STONES
The Colonial Administrative Service: Chronology and Context	1	(14)
Towards a Colonial Service Career	15	(27)
Training for the Colonial Service	42	(18)
PART II. THE HEART OF THE MATTER
First Tour	60	(34)
The Day's Work: In Station	94	(30)
The Day's Work: On Tour	124	(19)
The Day's Work: The Secretariat	143	(21)
After the Day's Work	164	(16)
Through Female Eyes	180	(27)
PART III. ALL CHANGE
The District Officer and Decolonization	207	(24)
Looking Back: The Image and the Memory of the DO	231	(39)
Notes	270	(35)
Bibliography	305	(18)
Index	323