The Battle of Pollilur on 10th September 1780, fought as part of the Second Anglo-Mysore War, was one of the worst defeats the British ever faced on the Indian subcontinent. It was fought between The East India Company, led by Colonel William Baillie, and the Mysore Army under the command of Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan. Heavily outnumbered and wounded in battle, Bailie was taken prisoner and eventually died in captivity in Seringapatam, in the state of Karnataka near Mysore on 13th November 1782. News of Pollilur aroused widespread consternation in England that India was lost, yet the details of Baillie's defeat and capture are often shrouded in mystery. In this engaging new biography, derived from fresh new research and archival material previously unseen, Alan Tritton presents the true story of William Baillie's life and death in India covering the period 1760-1782. Overturning the consensus view on the disaster at Pollilur, Tritton provides an original new angle in reassessing Colonel Baillie's blame for the defeat, and questions whether he should be remembered as a failure or, indeed, a British military hero.

When the Tiger Fought the Thistle: The Tragedy of Colonel William Baillie of the Madras Army

History

Tritton, Alan

Europe

Radcliffe Press

Philip Bowcock was the archetypal colonial administrator and, like so many of his peers, could turn his hand to a variety of tasks, all requiring intelligence, administrative skills, understanding of politics, sympathy with the human condition and sound judgement. His life reflects so much of the political, social and cultural history of 20th century Britain, with early life on a farm during the Second World War, Oxford University and National Service in the army―all constituting an ideal apprenticeship for the Colonial Service. His service in Sudan included a period in the Upper Nile Province with its warlike, fiercely independent Nuer tribe followed by service as District Commissioner, and later Magistrate, in Northern Rhodesia in the period leading up to independence as Zambia in 1964. His final experience of empire was reserved until the very end as a supervisor of the 1981 elections for majority rule for Zimbabwe. Above all, and running through the professional political and administrative career, with its backdrop of great events in Britain’s late imperial history, is a close family story and one which with which readers will readily indentify.

Last Guardians: Crown Service in Sudan, Northern Rhodesia and Britain

Biographies & Memoirs

Bowcock, Philip

Community & Culture

The history of European Jewry is a vast and complex subject. In this book, Edward Gelles traces Jewish history in Europe and the Near East including population movement, settlement, integration, advancement in all aspects of European culture and learning, relations with European states and dynasties, Christians and Ottomans, persecution, the world wars, anti-Semitism―the whole story of European Jewry from early times to the present. Edward Gelles and his family, both immediate and the wider European family, are connected and the huge and distinguished family connections provide historical context. In combining biography, traditional genealogy and a contribution from the rapidly developing field of genetic genealogy this book weaves emerging patterns into the grand tapestry of European history.

The Jewish Journey: A Passage Through European History

Gelles, Edward

World

The troubled borderland of Pakistan and Afghanistan– the so-called AfPak region―is one of the most dangerous areas of the world. Between 2006 and 2010 David L. Gosling lived in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where he was principal of Edwardes College, a prestigious higher education college, affiliated with the University of Peshawar. In this book, Gosling describes his time at Edwardes College and the challenges and changes of his tenure. Already the first co-educational college in the province, Gosling significantly increased the proportion of female students and staff. The book also describes the early stages of Taliban growth in Afghanistan, its spill-over into the tribal borderlands of Pakistan and how a combination of Pakistan army activity and US drone strikes provoked a furious backlash by Taliban groups against civilian targets in and around Peshawar, including death threats against the author. Providing a personal account of the education and politics of this frontier region, this book offers a unique viewpoint on a part of the world which is often misunderstood.

Frontier of Fear: Confronting the Taliban on Pakistan’s Border

Education & Teaching

Gosling, David L.

Schools & Teaching

Far from the fantasy world of luxurious plantations and colonial mansions, The Last Colonials gives a rare insight into the lives of white settlers in Jamaica. Peta Gay Jensen's lively narrative tells the story of her ancestors, their early commitment to their new country and the challenges that they faced when attempting to integrate fully into Jamaican culture. A vivid portrait of post-slavery Jamaica, the book gives a unique insight into imperialism in the New World and the complexity of a colonial society moving towards independence.

The Last Colonials: The Story of Two European Families in Jamaica

Jensen, Peta Gay

Frank Bennett's life was changed forever by his spontaneous decision to reply to an advertisement for the Colonial Service. Knowing little about the Service and where he might be sent, Bennett accepted the opportunity to serve his country in the twilight of imperialism. By fate, Bennett found himself as a junior clerk in the Ministry of Finance in Northern Rhodesia (modern Zambia). Written with verve and enjoyable humour, this is a gentle and humorous portrait of colonial government and the lifestyles of its officers.

Under an African Sun: Memoirs of a Colonial Officer in Northern Rhodesia

Bennett, Frank

In this rich and rewarding memoir, T.K.Taylor describes his experiences in schools from Kuala Lumpur to Johore Bahru as he worked in the Colonial Service to help rebuild the country in the aftermath of World War II and Japanese occupation. Full of vivid anecdote and sharply observed historical detail, his writing takes us from his first days adapting the Western curriculum to local schools' needs to his time as Chief Education Officer for Selangor state, showing the role of education in the transition to independence

Sunset of the Empire in Malaya: A New Zealander's Life in the Colonial Education Service

Taylor, T.K.

Historical

Here is a unique picture of European mineral exploration in Africa and the larger than life character William Chads. He followed his father into the army, served with distinction in the First World War, was wounded and awarded the Military Cross. After war service, Chads began exploring for gold in South America and continued with further adventures in Africa. This story provides a window into an interesting facet of European economic imperialism.

Searching for African Prospects: Life as a Mining Engineer in Nigeria and Angola

Chads, Diane

Full of insights and colourful anecdotes about the management of Empire, this moving personal history charts the author's journey from his childhood in Malaya before the Second World War to his present retirement in Hungerford. Evacuated as a schoolboy from England to Malaya in 1940 and then to Australia, K.J. Barnes returned to England in 1943 while the U-boat war was still at its height. After university he left England again to take up an appointment in the Colonial Administrative Service in Nigeria in 1954. In 1960 he was transferred to Malawi, and remained there until 1971. When Britain joined what was then the European Economic Community soon after this, Barnes was appointed to the staff of the European Commission in Brussels, specialising in development aid to former European colonies. When the expansion of the Community provided the opportunity to take early retirement in 1987, he did so, returning to an England in which he had never before lived on any long-term basis.

A Rough Passage, Volume I: Memories of Empire

Barnes, K. J.

An inspiring memoir of a colonial life, set against the background of the ending of the British Empire. Evacuated as a schoolboy from England to Malaya in 1940 and then to Australia, Barnes returned to England in 1943 while the U-boat war was still at its height. After university he left England again to take up an appointment in the Colonial Administrative Service in Nigeria in 1954 as that country was rushed from Protectorate to independence. In 1960 he was transferred to Malawi, where the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was about to be dismantled even more speedily, and remained there until 1971. When Britain joined what was then the European Economic Community soon after this, Barnes was appointed to the staff of the European Commission in Brussels, specialising in development aid to former European colonies. When the expansion of the Community provided the opportunity to take early retirement in 1987, he did so, returning to an England in which he had never before lived on any long-term basis. Full of insights and colourful anecdotes about the management of Empire, this moving personal history charts the author's journey from his childhood in Malaya before the Second World War to his present retirement in Hungerford.

A Rough Passage, Volume II: Memories of Empire

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