{"product_id":"goodbye-dr-banda","title":"Goodbye, Dr Banda","description":"\u003c!-- Hook --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGoodbye, Dr Banda—Lessons for the West From a Small African Country\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- Tagline --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLessons for the West from a small African country's journey\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- Access Your Content --\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"border: 2px solid #ddd; padding: 16px; border-radius: 6px; background: #f9f9f9; margin-bottom: 20px;\"\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"font-weight: bold; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAccess Your Content in Seconds\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003col style=\"margin-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eComplete your purchase on our store.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eDownload \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/pages\/the-grey-hill-app\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Grey Hill App\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e (free).\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eLog in using the same email from checkout.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eYour ebook will appear instantly in your library.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c\/ol\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"font-size: 14px; color: #555;\"\u003eAll content is securely delivered through our app and not offered as a Shopify download.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- About the Ebook --\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Ebook\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'You may never have been, may never go, may never even have heard of the place – but Malawi will repay your attention. It is one of the smallest, poorest countries in Africa, often overlooked; but its relationship with us in the West has been extraordinary.'\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn a ruined dictator's palace, Alexander Chula – a classicist-turned-doctor, fresh out of Oxford – stumbles upon an oak treasure chest. Inside is a priceless, antique edition of Julius Caesar's Gallic War. This unexpected talisman of Western high culture belongs to the mercurial Dr Banda, a man of many parts: scholarly physician, anti-colonial hero, brutal tyrant, and fallen philosopher-king.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBanda leads the author deep into the heart of this mysterious country, there to uncover a bizarre meeting of worlds: between one of Africa's most fascinating indigenous cultures and the best and worst of our own. Here tribal ritual collides with Greek theatre; masked dancers with roving classicists; poets and pop stars with missionary-explorers; hippies and kleptocrats with long-suffering peasants.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe story is enigmatic but exhilarating, by turns edifying and deeply uncomfortable. But we would do well to examine it: Malawi presents urgent lessons which resonate piercingly in our vexed age of culture wars and identity crisis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- Why You'll Love This Ebook --\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy You'll Love This Ebook\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDiscover lessons for the West from a small African nation's journey\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eExplore democracy, reform, and governance through real experience\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eEngage with thoughtful political and social commentary\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eRead another celebrated title from Polygon - an imprint of Birlinn Ltd\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- Reviews --\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eReviews\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Triumphantly upends the familiar narrative — a quixotic attempt to show us what countries can learn about love and art from rural Malawians'\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A quite superb book that will linger with the reader for a long time — a highly unusual personal memoir, but also a sympathetic and perceptive portrait of a country and its past'\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eAlexander McCall Smith\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A riveting — and cautionary — tale of a collision of two cultures. Brilliantly observed and packed with insights, the result is an African classic'\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eMichael Holman\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Chula's powerfully thought-provoking book shows the folly of treating Western high culture as merely a tool for self-flagellation'\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eThe Critic\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'This book gets better and better as it goes along — a very important contribution to the ongoing debate about colonialism'\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eSir Roger Scruton\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- About the Author --\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\nAlexander Chula is an NHS doctor and writer. He was born and raised in London, and is of mixed Thai and British ancestry. He read Classics at Worcester College, Oxford, then medicine at the University of London. He has worked in Malawi both as a teacher of Latin and Greek and as a doctor.\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- Publication Details --\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePublication Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Polygon (an imprint of Birlinn Ltd)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e 04 May 2023\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrint Length:\u003c\/strong\u003e 320 pages (Ebook edition)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN (Ebook):\u003c\/strong\u003e 9781788855792\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ebook\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- FAQ --\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow do I access my ebook?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDownload \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/pages\/the-grey-hill-app\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Grey Hill App\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e and log in using the same email you used at checkout. Your ebook will appear instantly in your library.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I read it online?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — you can also access your purchases via our online reader at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reader.thegreyhill.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ereader.thegreyhill.com\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eI can't see my ebook — what should I do?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTap the refresh button in the app or online reader. If it still doesn't appear, ensure you're logged in with the same email used at checkout. If issues continue, contact us and we'll help right away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I gift this ebook?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — you can purchase a Grey Hill Gift Card here: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/products\/the-grey-hill-gift-card\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy a Gift Card\u003c\/a\u003e. The recipient can redeem it on our store, and the ebook will appear in The Grey Hill App.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Polygon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57307279786357,"sku":"9781788855792","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0921\/5662\/5269\/files\/9781788855792.jpg?v=1781964129","url":"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/products\/goodbye-dr-banda","provider":"The Grey Hill","version":"1.0","type":"link"}