Colin N. Crisswell

The White Rajahs of Sarawak have always sounded so exotic, containing headhunters, princes, adventurers, gunboats and the like. At least, that's what you would get with James Brooke, the first White Rajah. Charles, the second Rajah and the subject of this book, comes off as a bit dull by comparison, as while James was fighting pirates, Charles was extending the Sarawak public service, and while James was becoming "carnally involved with the rough trade in Totnes", Charles was keeping a watchful eye on Sarawak finances.

Charles did have his eccentricities too, such as proposing to his eventual wife in England and then immediately leaving the room upon her acceptance to head straight back to Sarawak. But in all, we have an English public school educated young man who through several strokes of good luck found himself ruling a large chunk of Borneo, so still worth a read, all things considered.… (plus d'informations)