Of Sidearms and Dinner Jackets

There's so much literary talent here. Robert Dewar is a born storyteller. This is a gorgeous, evocative tapestry of what life was once like at Mohali pa Kupumzika in the Highlands of Equatoria. The writing is genuine. Nothing is romanticised. The dying embers of a British Colony in Africa in the early 1960s is dense with detail and highly atmospheric. It is engaging and beguiling and a constant delight to read. This is a book full of glorious nostalgia. It is subtle and shrewd, and warm and wise, and flawlessly brave. The characters constantly touched my heart with a very special sort of magic.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had everything that I was hoping for from the description. The characters were everything that I was hoping for in this type of book. It does a great job in showing the dark side of history and I was invested in the romance aspect.

A great read and a window into another era. This novel tells the story of a young Englishman Michael Hood and his hopes and aspirations at the close of the colonial period in British Africa. Most of it is set in what is described as the Equatorian Highlands. Although this geographical detail is fictional the general picture of life for British settlers and of the unrest as people agitated for an end to colonial rule is convincing. The author has a good grasp of the historical background. It is an engaging tale of the main character, Michael, and the ups and downs of his friendships. We see the demise of one of his friends and the eventual blossoming of a romance. The themes of loyalty and hard work run through the story. The various characters are portrayed sympathetically and convincingly. The author builds up a detailed picture of daily life.. I was left feeling that the main characters lacked something. They seemed to enjoy much inherited wealth and privilege but did not seem aware of any of the challenges or moral difficulties posed by this lifestyle given the inequalities, situations and prospects of others. The end to the colonial period was simply an inconvenience to a way of life for them. To me it reads as a story of moral failure: the novel has depth because of this. It is a great read and I recommend it.

I enjoyed this book. It's a good story, an interesting view of a unique slice of history, and the book is well written.

As bucolic and prolific as Equatoria was, SideArms and Dinner Jackets takes us into its decline as a British colony on the eve of its independence during the 1960’s. The story opens with a visit from Michael, who was an old school friend of Patrick’s, who leaves London as he is not married and in between writing projects. When he arrives in Equatoria, he is immediately taken into the life of his old school friend Patrick and Marjorie, his neighbor, also from an old family in the highlands that has lived side by side for decades. Both families come to call this piece of Africa their home as they farm it with dairy cattle and all types of cereal grains. But life is troubled as there is an insurgence group called the Wa Chi who are gathering speed in killing the farmers and pushing for independence. Michael is enchanted with life in Africa, and its formal ease. With drinks, dinner jackets for evening meals and excellent local food (even if they have to keep their guns nearby), life seems to go on sunnily despite the ongoing obstacles in the ever presence of the insurgence. But despite the surface, the normalcy is fake and the life is crumbling quickly. Marjorie and Patrick marry, and life outwardly gets sweeter, but it covers up the rot. Life is slipping as the troubles of the country infringe on daily life and shortages impinge on keeping the farm going. This book is an easy read and a glimpse of a life long gone. It is written from Michael’s perspective and how he grew to love Africa and eventually make it his home. I have read a lot about Africa, and this book skims lightly over the problems of British rule. I enjoyed reading this book, and the ending does seem happy after so much tragedy. The style of writing is straightforward, easy to read and does draw you in.