Although Malcolm Alexander was raised in north London, school holidays in Norfolk with his ‘crabby’ great-uncle Claude engendered a love of the countryside and the pursuit of a career in agriculture. Meeting a young Desmond Tutu, then newly-arrived as part-time curate at St. Alban’s, Golders Green, and studying at King’s College, inspired Malcolm’s deep love of Africa. Having graduated in agricultural economics from Wye College (University of London), Malcolm and his wife worked on a settlement scheme in western Uganda helping school-leavers make a living from planting tea. Enthused by the prospect of exploring Mt. Mulanje, Malcolm then spent three years in Malawi planning agricultural projects. Returning to London, as a qualified accountant, he took on senior management roles at Brooke Bond (tea) and in international drinks marketing. Later, he established Interregna, sourcing the best talent to fill gaps in organisations. He writes on business matters and is a confident public speaker. Malcolm’s long friendship with Archbishop Tutu and his family has continued, leading to him being a founding Trustee (now a Vice-Patron) of the Tutu Foundation UK. He is also a member of the Royal African Society

Desmond Tutu, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, retired as Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, in 1996. President Nelson Mandela then named him as Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the organisation charged with bringing to light the atrocities of apartheid in South Africa and achieving reconciliation with former oppressors. He is active as a lecturer throughout the world.

'a vivid, honest and clear picture of the complex interactions between the white rulers and settlers and the indigenous people, but the landscape of Northern Rhodesia, and its flora and fauna all play their part. The book is packed with literary references, snippets of social history, and insights into a whole cast of supporting characters' - Denis Judd, Emeritus History Professor

'Claude was not a soldier, he was a political officer – a fact which places this record of his life in a category of its own. Malcolm’s painstaking search to understand the life his great uncle experienced opens a window onto a lifestyle usually kept hidden' - Anne Samson, WWI Historian