Beyond Empire

John Ducker spent seven years as a member of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service, the successor to the Colonial Service, from 1960 to 1967, followed by twenty-three years on the staff of the World Bank, for all but seven of those years involved directly or indirectly with Africa.

Decolonization in Africa proved a messy process, particularly for the British colonies, which lacked coherence and unraveled too quickly for either London or colonial authorities to manage affairs. Many expressed aspirations for independence and self-government, but practicalities often put the Colonial Office, local administrations, and indigenous authorities in unworkable situations. In Ducker’s cogent analysis, the brevity of British involvement was the root of the trouble. The 80-odd years of British rule in Africa focused on maintenance and economic development to meet the empire's needs, and Britain did not consider the possibility that those colonies might eventually become independent states until the postwar era. As a result, few resources were directed to the development of an indigenous civil service or an educational infrastructure. In most cases, education in the colonies was relegated to missionary organizations. Thus, institutions of higher education were developed in the imperial twilight; Makerere College in Uganda graduated its first class less than a decade before independence. Although "Africanization" of local governments began occurring in the 1920s, no concerted effort was made until Commonwealth priorities forced the issue. Ducker’s methodical analysis is a welcome addition to the literature on decolonization. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.

• Chapter 1.The Historical Background Chapter 2.The British Government and Colonial Policy Chapter 3.Education in the Colonies Chapter 4.Self-government and Independence of the Colonies - The Political and Constitutional ContextChapter 5.The Localisation of the Public Service Chapter 6. Other Influences – Other Countries and the United NationsChapter 7. Press Coverage of Colonial Questions Chapter 8.Retrospective on De-Colonisation