Fading Pictures: Recollections of the Far East

When Robin Bryant arrived in Malaya in the early 1960s, the colonial era was drawing to a close. For nearly two decades he lived and worked in a country in the process of change after independence. Working on Malaysia's rubber estates, he managed vast plantations, facing great responsibilities and frequent problems. To unwind, he and his fellow expatriates learned to fly light aircraft, travelled around exploring jungles and observing wildlife from elephants to birds, sailed and water-skied and enjoyed life to the full.This is not just a personal memoir of a privileged colonial lifestyle, it is also a picture of a country undergoing change. And, while the author is proud of Malaysia's great success in subsequently developing its economy, he also regrets the spread of fundamentalism and the passing of a simple and relaxed period in its history.