Man in a Hurry: Murray MacLehose and Colonial Autonomy in Hong Kong

A careful analysis of the intricacies of decolonizing British-ruled Hong Kong.

Man in a Hurry explores the latest available archival materials and re-examines MacLehose’s pivotal governorship in Hong Kong (1971–1982). MacLehose arrived in the challenging 1970s, when there were expectations for social reforms, uneasiness in the relationship between Hong Kong and London, and the 1997 factor looming large. The governor successfully carried out various social reforms and he also handled various major issues, including the anti-corruption campaign, the Vietnamese refugee crisis, and the granting of land lease of the New Territories beyond 1997. Yep unveils the tension and bargaining between the British government and explains how interest of the colony could be asserted, defended, and negotiated. This book is an important study of Hong Kong’s "golden years" when the city’s economy took off. It is a significant contribution to our understanding of how local autonomy was defined.

Ray Yep is research director of the Hong Kong History Centre, University of Bristol, UK.