HOW TO ORDER
HARDBACK £12.50 & UK postage £3.00 for 1 book £4.25 for 2 books
email: tonygoddardbooks@gmail.com
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Payment by Bank Transfer M.A. Goddard
This book relates the often hilarious adventures of a young man in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) between 1962 and 1965 at the end of the Colonial era. Although in his very early twenties as a district officer cadet, he was within weeks of his arrival, given responsibility for a complete tribal area adjoining the South Luangwa Game Reserve. His adventures included his being charged by a lioness and chased up a tree by a rhino.
The tensions arising out of the move towards
independence presented different challenges, as he operated largely on
his own, trying to maintain law and order. All of which although related
in a light-hearted way, does not entirely hide the very real danger of
some of the situations. It was during this period that he started a youth
training scheme and for this purpose ‘borrowed’ an African Police
Inspector without the knowledge of the Policeman’s superiors.
During the last months of his time as a District Officer
he was in at the start of the trouble with the Lumpa Church when it
went on the rampage in the adjoining District of Lundazi. In the final year of
his time in Africa he transferred to the Ministry of Justice and operated
as a stipendiary Magistrate in the southwestern province on the banks of the
Zambezi. The cases he dealt with provide some of the best and most amusing
stories in the book.
Tony's follow-up book The Tales of a Country Solicitor is on this blog and also available from tonygoddardbooks@gmail.com
REVIEWS
W R Lindsay-Stewart (N Rhode sia/Zambia 1954-70)
Tony Goddard's memoir, My African
Stories, recounts his experiences during the colonial era
and the early years of Zambia's independence. The book is structured around
three periods: his childhood in Northern Rhodesia, his time as a District
Officer in Zambia leading up to its 1964 independence, and his
post-independence role as a Resident Magistrate. The memoir contrasts the
traditional indirect colonial rule with the new, centralized system that
followed independence, while also highlighting personal relationships between
British officers and local leaders and staff.
- Three distinct periods: The memoir covers Goddard's life from his childhood in Northern Rhodesia, through his university years in England, to his experiences as a District Officer and later a Resident Magistrate in Zambia.
- Transition from colonial rule: It describes the shift from the British system of indirect rule through local chiefs to a new, centralized, and politically controlled civil service after Zambian independence in 1964.
- Personal relationships: Goddard emphasizes the strong relationships that formed between expatriate District Officers and local chiefs, and particularly with their personal staff.
- Wildlife conservation: The book also touches on the history of the Luangwa Valley's wildlife conservation efforts, which began with a partnership between the colonial government and Paramount Chief Nsefu.
- Post-independence changes: The memoir provides personal insights into the social and political changes that occurred in Zambia during the transition to independence.
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| Tony Goddard 2025 |
Last week we met Modbury resident Tony Goddard and learned about his time as a District Officer in the Colonial Service serving in North Rhodesia (now Zambia).
Now we find Tony transferring to the Ministry of Justice and on the strength of his Oxford Law degree being appointed as Resident Magistrate of Balovale and Kabompo Districts on the banks of the Zambezi with the criminal and civil powers of an English county Court Judge.
This appointment saw the end of his career in the Colonial service and the urgent need to plan for a future career in England.
With a young wife to support, Tony decided to give up his intention to become a barrister in favour of the safer option of becoming a solicitor.
