Plain Tales from the British Empire

This omnibus brings together Charles Allen's oral histories Plain Tales from the Raj, Tales from the Dark Continent and Tales from the South China Seas. Based on interviews with people who lived and worked across Britain's twentieth-century empire, it records daily routines, administration, domestic life, travel, clubs, schools, plantations, military service and the social hierarchies that shaped colonial communities.

Placed side by side, the recollections show both the similarities and the regional differences of imperial rule in India, Africa and South-East Asia. The speakers remember privilege, isolation, danger, friendship and upheaval from personal perspectives that are often partial or nostalgic. Allen's value lies in preserving those voices while giving readers a large body of firsthand testimony about colonial life before decolonisation.