Based on the author's letters and writings during a career that spanned World War II and the end of empire, and included service in Nigeria, Eritrea, Singapore, Malaya, the Gold Coast and a spell in the Royal West African Frontier Force, this book describes the life and work of a colonial officer. The author argues that the typical district officer in the post-war period was a man free from Kipling's aspirations, accepting and trying to smooth the path to independence.