Wrong Place, Right Time: Policing the End of Empire [Hardcover]

Michael J. Macoun (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1996 | ISBN-10: 1860640192 | ISBN-13: 978-1860640193

Born into overseas service, the author trained in the Metropolitan police and joined the Colonial Police service in Tanganyika. This book examines the role of the police service in parts of the British empire abroad, based upon the author's experiences. During World War II, he was involved in the internment of Nazi sympathizers, and as Superintendent of Police in Dar Es Salaam he had to cope with civil and industrial unrest resulting from the end of the war and demobilization.

However, as Inspector General of Police in Uganda, the author faced independence campaigns, rebellion, mutiny, incursions from unstable neighbouring states, influxes of refugees and the effective localization of the Ugandan police.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (October 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860640192
• ISBN-13: 978-1860640193
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,971,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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5.0 out of 5 stars Questions raised, October 6, 2009

By 

Alan Ellis (London, England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wrong Place, Right Time: Policing the End of Empire (Hardcover)

The 1996 book by the former Inspector-General of Colonial Police, the late-Michael Macoun, is an excellent introduction to the basic facts about and history of the Colonial Police Service (CPS).

It complements the book on the subject by the late-Sir Charles Jeffries published some 40 years earlier.

Mr Macoun's work concentrates on experience with African forces but also presents useful material across the spectrum of the dependent territories, about the CPS and the I-G's many tasks (listed in a detailed but unsourced appendix).

However, close reading of those tasks and their discharge as presented does raise many questions.

For example, to anyone familiar with the history of the then-British Crown Colony of Hong Kong during Mr Macoun's tenure as I-G may wonder why his book makes no mention of that history.