3 Review(s)

Completeing a Stewardship describes the process of British disengagement from Malaya and Singapore during the era of Asian nationalism. Heussler adds to previous studies of decolonization and disengagement a new and important perspective: the views and daily work of the members of the Malayan Civil Service who were at the center of affairs until the end of British rule. The book concentrates on the people and events that influenced administrative preparations for independence. The importance of Completing A Stewardship lies in its attention to the British management of preparations for self-government. By combining official records with diaries, letters, personal papers, and interviews with many important participants, Heussler offers a full and balanced view of the end of the British Empire in Southeast Asia.