Trials in Burma

by Maurice Collis

This is an unpretentious book, but it brings out with unusual clearness the dilemma that faces every official in an empire like our own.

Genres: History

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1938

About the author

Maurice Stewart Collis

Reviews

[Smiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazingly, I found reading this memoir so captivatingly and literally devourable that I long to read his other remaining two entitled Into Hidden Burma and The Journal Outward; this title being the second in the series. In fact, I think, one of the reasons is that, nearly like his Siamese White (DD Books 1982), he outlined his contents into seven chapters, chapters one-three equally having five topics while chapter four having ten, chapter five having four, chapter six having three and chapter seven having eight (whereas Siamese White having three parts, 47 chapters). We can see that it's another sort of variety; more importantly, what we read in each topic is the key to our captivating reading due to his propriety as planned and designed with sufficient pages, its content being not too short nor too long. Therefore, the readers would and could find reading his memoir inexplicably readable, appreciative and contented.

To continue . . .

[Moe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting read. See the Wikipedia entry for the details. Two interesting things are surprising. Firstly the author's complete failure to appreciate the significance of the Saya San rebellion, an important anti-colonial event. Secondly the author's description of the prison riot where so many died is so uninvolved. Gives a good indication of the colonial attitude to the colonised.

[Simon Rawlence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-united with this treasure after over 50 years. I last found it as a teenager in my father in laws library. He was an ex Burma hand. Out there straight from Cambridge and living in a chummery in the 1930s. then working upcountry for Imperial Tobacco. Then in WW2 commanding a company of Sikhs against the Japanese.
But back to Maurice Collis. This book is a healthy counterweight to Orwell's Burmese days. Firstly it is not fiction but court cases which especially expose the differing attitudes to Brits and Burmese. Collis conducts a losing battle against the tide of Imperialist and racist feeling especially amongst the military and merchant classes in attempting to uphold the true gift of the impartiality of British Justice. His eventual transfer ironically coincides with the rebellion of 1930.
One last comment is to laud the Faber Finds as a project. What other lost treasures will they be reprinting next ? www.faberfinds.co.uk

[Peer · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are interested in India and the Burmese under the Indian Diarchy (combined government of Britain and India) between 1928 and 1937, then this will probably be a very interesting read indeed. Unfortunaly I am not so interested.

[Glen Thickett · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old book from a different time. British civil service in Burma between the World Wars. Written with a clear eye, good memory, and with humour.

[Daniellamenezes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Offers great insights about social conflicts that are still alive in Myanmar today.