The White Rajahs of Sarawak

For over a century the state of Sarawak in the island of Borneo had been ruled with benevolent despotism by a family of Englishmen. This book is their story.

It concerns three men: James Brooke was the only man who succeeded in coming from the West and making himself king over an Eastern race and founding a dynasty which lasted for a hundred years; Charles Brooke, James’s nephew, who was rajah for nearly fifty years — a character almost out of the Middle Ages; Vyner Brooke, son of Charles, to whom fell the task of leading Sarawak, still a mystery land in his father’s day, into the twentieth century.

James, who looked and behaved like a romantic hero, became a legend in his own lifetime. Cast in the mould of the Elizabethan adventurer, he faced piracy and rebellion in Sarawak, misunderstanding and opposition at home. Though life was calmer for his successors , they all showed one thing in common: a love for Sarawak and an understanding of its people.

In the story of the Brookes, Robert Payne has found a subject worthy of his biographical skill.

Praise for The White Rajahs of Sarawak:

'A colourful, well researched chronicle full of adventure, violence and drama' - Chicago Sunday Tribune

'The prolific Mr Payne... recounts this Britannic fantasy with enthusiasm not only for James brook, but for the Brooke Rajahs, his son and grandson, who came after him' - San Franciso Chronicle

'Easy and enjoyable to read...' - The Times

Robert Payne (1911-1983) was the author of many notable works, including The Rise and Fall of Stalin, The Life and Death of Lenin and The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler. Born in England, he was a constant world traveller, a keen observer, but always the biographer, historian, novelist, poet and translator.