Kenya Cowboy: A Police Officer's Account of the Mau Mau Emergency in Kenya [Paperback]

Peter Hewitt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2002

Thirty-five years after its jubilant attainment of "Uhuru" Kenya can claim with some justification to have matured as an independent sovereign republic. While the transition from a British colony to an independent state was not as creditable as many might have wished, Kenya, nevertheless, did not suffer the degree of disintegration and chaos that was so much in evidence in many of her sister countries. The doleful pre-independence predictions of December 1963 did not come to pass; Armageddon did not befall the whites, although many considered it prudent to pack their bags. Yet, the specter of Mau Mau still clouds the history of this former scintillating jewel in the British imperial crown. During the early fifties the world was aghast at the horror and savagery of a new and special brand of terrorism which had been unleashed in the demi-paradise that was the White Highlands. The revolt was regarded in its origins and development as wholly evil. Yet, the Mau Mau insurgents (the land freedom army) became heroes and October 21st, the date in 1952 on which the state of emergency was declared, is commemorated annually with pride as Kenyatta Day. This book by a former colonial police officer at the time of the uprising offers a balanced assessment of the implications of Mau Mau, as well as a vivid, and often shocking reconstruction of events. He seeks both to give a personal human perspective of it and to shed light on the darker areas of fact. Indeed, the book is full of revelations, some of them damning.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Peter Hewitt entered the Colonial Police Service after his military duty was completed. This career move took him to Kenya, where his experiences inspired this book. He also saw tours in Cyprus and Nyasaland, as well as many foreign diplomatic postings. Now retired he divides his time between homes in north London and Cyprus.

Product Details

• Paperback: 359 pages
• Publisher: Covos-Day Books; 2nd edition (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1919874364
• ISBN-13: 978-1919874364
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,323,247 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Historical Account, July 24, 2004

By 

S. HOWE (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kenya Cowboy: A Police Officer's Account of the Mau Mau Emergency in Kenya (Paperback)

This is a remarkable story and a fascinating read. Peter Hewitt's account of his memoirs as a Kenya policeman reads like a novel. His colorful and cleverly written observations captivate the reader with a unique and factually-engrossing glimpse into the darkest period of Kenya's history. An interesting story for the curious reader, this is also an important writing for anyone examining the current controversy of Mau Mau detention camps which resulted from the terror raged against both Africans and colonists during the 1950s.