While American readers can (normally) understand the notion
of imperialism -- admit it or not, we are stellar practitioners of it -- we don’t
readily acknowledge the notion of empire building. We view global dominance as something that
just happened because we are good guys, not something that was built. The British Empire on the other hand didn’t
just happen, it was built. The process usually
(always?) began with the military, but colonial administration was the crowning
achievement – pun intended.
“The Empire on which the sun never sets” required a colossal
bureaucracy to run it; that bureaucracy is often referred to as the “Raj,” a term
originally coined to describe the British rule of India, but its application eventually
grew to cover the administration of the entire global empire, from Hong Kong to
Singapore, Ceylon, India, Rhodesia, South Africa and more.
Old Filth, is a by-product of the Raj. The title is the nickname of a colonial barrister stationed in the then British colony of Hong
Kong. The moniker stands for “failed-in-London-try-Hong
Kong.” The book is part of an entire
genre of British literature often called “children of the Raj.”
Written by Jane Gardam, it is a biography of a fictional Sir
Edward Feathers, a Brit who was born in China, where his father was part of the
colonial administration. Eddy, as was
the case with most foreign born children of Raj bureaucrats, was sent back to
England (Wales actually, because it was cheaper) for his education. He was sent to a boarding school, along with
other Raj children, at a very young age because his mother had died during his
birth.
Gardam’s fascinating tale is about how this virtual orphan,
with a father far more interested in the Empire than in his own son, managed
the English education system, and qualifies for Oxford. But, as he is set to enter Oxford, Britain is
becoming the next target in World War II, with German planes bombing the country, at
first, uncontested. What happens next
makes for a great read.
In time, Eddy will graduate from Oxford, tire of England,
and relocate to Malaysia in pursuit of his father, lost when the Japanese
captured Singapore where his father had fled to “because it was invincible.” Eddy goes on to establish a legendary
reputation as a foreign-service barrister in Hong Kong, before retiring back to
England. Much of the book is told in
flashback.
Recommendation: I canceled appointments to devote more time
to reading this book, that’s how much I enjoyed it.
