White Rajah: A Biography of Sir James Brooke

Sir James Brooke's curious career began in 1841, when he was caught up in a war in Brunei. He was an opportunist who, with the Sultan's backing, made war on the Dayaks tribespeople and as a result found himself ruling over Sarawak a kingdom the size of England. How he achieved it is a romantic, sometimes horrifying story. This historical biography recalls the best and the worst of the British Imperial character.