Sir David Akers-Jones's descriptions of rural and urban Hong Kong, of
journeys in a constantly changing China, including observations and
conclusions on people, events and trends, are interesting, valuable and
well-described. So are his accounts of early experiences in Malaya and
Thailand, and travel in Bolivia and Peru. Members of OSPA will be
particularly interested in this colonial official - for a while Chief
Secretary of Hong Kong - who "stayed on" after retirement in 1987, who
rejects whispers of having "gone native" (p 75) and bravely puts on
record having been called "traitor" (p 252). They will also be attentive
to the incident when former colleagues circulated a letter calling for
his pension to be withdrawn (p 233).
For China-watchers and those
concerned with the recent history of Hong Kong in particular, other
elements multiply the interest of these well-written and readable
Reminiscences', the writer's perception of having been different in
experience, knowledge, opportunity and outlook from most of his
government colleagues; his frank narrative of criticisms received for
his views on China and his friendship and association with the Chinese;
and the very clear indications he gives of those whom he liked and did
not like among the Hong Kong Governors whom he served. Sir David directs
particular attention to his observations about the future of Hong Kong
and the need he perceives for Hong Kong to change its focus, away from
the wider world, to consider its position within China itself.
Sir David
notes (but restrainedly does not correct) "some irritating inaccuracy"
in each of three mentions of himself in Jonathan Dimbleby's book on
Christopher Patten, The Last Governor (p 256). Given the likely
authority that a book by Sir David will carry, your reviewer feels she
cannot follow this lead and must correct some comments in Sir David's
own book, on the Hong Kong education system (p 265). It was not left to
the post-1997 Hong Kong administration to target improvements in the
extent and level of acquisition of English language skills. The first
native English teacher was appointed by the Hong Kong Government to be
the founding headmaster of the first wholly government-funded Hong Kong
school (the Central School, now Queen's College) over a century earlier,
in 1862. More recently, the Government's Institute of Language in
Education was established in 1982, to target language proficiency, with
in-service teacher training for teachers of English as well as of
Chinese. Later in the 1980s a government scheme for bringing native
English-speaking teachers into local Hong Kong schools was instituted
and it is a revision of this (mentioned in the book), which is currently
in operation in Hong Kong.
The book has no bibliography and the
writer mentions in passing only a handful of books, all modern. Sir
David mentions his own notes once or twice (pp 88, 139) but he also
states that he destroyed "cabinets of personal papers... including
years of speeches", when moving from the New Territories in 1985 (p
157). Although Sir David makes no claim to be familiar with the
carefully researched modern writing about the early history of Hong
Kong, the book nevertheless contains interesting comments about earlier
periods.
As the writer himself states, this book "is a personal account
of years of excitement, interest and enjoyment, of struggle and
challenge in an extraordinary place" (p 273). The personality of the
writer emerges strongly and the strength of his relationship with his
late wife, Jane, who died before the book was published, is clear from
the reticence of his comments on her and their life together.
The value
of a book like this includes the interesting details about persons,
places and events that it provides beyond the main subjects discussed.
The sketchy, occasionally inaccurate and often quixotic Index does the
book much less than justice. (For example. Pierce Brosnan is listed, but
not Lord Asa Briggs, Lord Carrington, Confucius, Edmund Blunden, Robert
Hart, Dr Johnson, or A de O Sales, and many other interesting and
significant persons, all mentioned in the text.)
Another stage of proofing and editing could have removed a few dozen obvious
typographical or reading errors as well as some ambiguities.
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