Stephanie Williams (1) (1948–)

"Running the show" is an account of the small band of men, often accompanied by their wives, who acted as Governors in some of the most pestilential and challenging spots, during the growth of the British Empire. Drawing on a mass of unpublished material, as well as Foreign Office records, Stephanie Williams does a masterful job of bringing to life a vanished era, focussing on about 15 remarkable individuals who, each in their own way, left a mark on the countries where they worked. Two themes jumped out at me: that Great Britain had a policy (which admittedly varied over time) of actively avoiding taking on additional responsibilities -- and it was not unusual for local groups or rulers to petition Great Britain to provide either assistance, support, guidance and protection. Secondly, in various places (West Africa and the Malay peninsula for two) Great Britain took over when slavery (in several forms) was endemic, and it was then the British administrator/advisor/governor who engaged in efforts to eradicate the practice.… (more)