Brief Authority: A Memoir of Colonial Administration in Tanganyika

Charles Innes Meek’s account of his twenty years in Tanganyika – now Tanzania – goes to the heart of British colonial rule at the end of empire. Arriving in the former German colony during the dark days of World War II, Meek describes the challenges of living in a remote colony in war-time and of life among a remarkable cast of frontier characters and colleagues. By the late 1940s, however, the drive towards nationalism had gained pace. There were experiments with forms of indirect rule with local tribal leaders but all was suddenly overtaken by the momentum of the independence movement and in 1957, Meek was moved to Dar es Salaam. Here he was embroiled in the fast-moving events leading to decolonization, working as Permanent Secretary to the Chief Minister, Julius Nyerere. Following independence, he became the first Head of the Tanganyika Civil Service, in which role he collaborated closely with Nyerere. Brief Authority is a fascinating story for all readers interested in the inside story of the British Colonial service at the end of empire - dramatic, moving, and full of human interest.