With Sword and Chain in Lusaka: A Londoner's Life in Zambia 1948-1972

A Londoner's life in Zambia and why he was ordered to issue plans for action against RAF planes and British Troops.

Customer Reviews:

With Sword and Chain in Lusaka

By geoff Mossop - January 1, 2011

Reading this book took me back to a brief, but wonderful era in a now extinct place. The author's involvement in the administrative affairs of Lusaka gave him an in-depth knowledge of the many interesting events that were taking place during the 1950's and 60's. Most of all Richard Sampson has placed on record an account of an extraordinary era in the history of a remarkable country; Northern Rhodesia.

When is a sample not a sample

By Suradit - August 30, 2012

Once again Amazon and a publisher conspire to prevent a prospective buyer from actually seeing a sample of a book of interest.

While the introduction written by Colin Baker was useful and informative (and the author's "appreciation" for help in writing the book totally pointless in the context of a sample of the book), after reading the sample one is still left with no idea of the author's writing style.

Developments in Zambia during the period that the author was there are of interest to me since I arrived just months after he departed (and remained until 1997), but I would still have liked to have been able to read a few pages of the actual book before deciding to buy it. It's quite likely that it is fascinating reading, but there's at least a chance that the author's writing is sleep-inducing and I'm not sure if I want to bet $10 to see which it is.

The one-star rating is for Amazon and the publisher. There seems no other way to gain their attention.

Eyewitness account of birth of Zambia

By Dan - October 17, 2010

The author is a Britisher who, after World War II, moved to what was then Northern Rhodesia where he lived for almost a quarter century.

As an accountant, businessman and mayor, he witnessed (and chronicles) the transformation of Northern Rhodesia (ruled by Europeans) into part of Zambia (ruled by native peoples.)

The transition happened almost 50 years ago and it's a tale probably unknown or at least forgotten in the US (where the author eventually ends up). Because this account is personal and somewhat short (2,115 Kindle locations), we don't have a comprehensive report of Zambia's birth and the surrounding issues; the story is his perspective.

Still, why he left England (and the conditions there pre- and post-war), the years in Northern Rhodesia, and why he had to leave Zambia are a stirring tale.