CAA Vancouver Members
J. Gordon Mumford
Author of Memoirs and Creative Non-fiction Books
African Adventures
After the adrenaline rush of wartime, Gordon was unsettled and bored by life in England. In 1949, he went to East Africa where he found the excitement he craved working as an assistant field engineer in the mountains and deserts of Kenya's Northern Frontier. In 1951, he switched to the newly-formed survey safari crews on the VHF radio repeater telecommunications route, a major project. They ran headlong into more excitement than they had bargained for when they found themselves in the midst of a savage civil war.
Gordon writes of his experiences on safari in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar) in 1949-1958. During that time, the Kikuyu and Luo tribes in Kenya's Central Province were engaged in a power struggle, fighting amonst themselves, as they are today. Martial law was imposed and British and local troops were called in.
White Man's Drum
White Man's Drum is the first book in a trilogy about Africa in chaos. The trilogy describes the idealism of youth, his disenchantment, and final acceptance of the reality of change. In the first book, the reader sees a slice of life in colonial Africa, and the rumblings of discontent that led to Mau Mau and eventually to independence.
Drums of Rebellion
The rebellion of the Kikuyu tribe against the colonial government was a fateful period in Kenya's history. Despite the upheaval, work on the project continued. This period is covered in the second book, Drums of Rebellion.
In Fate's Footsteps
In Fate's Footsteps is a story of broken dreams, involving love, deceit, and betrayal. Forced to leave Anni in Hong Kong in 1946, Gordon had let fate have its way. He married Joan, and went to Africa. With independence looming over them, Gordon planned to stay in Kenya. Hoping to improve his chances, he decided to become a professional engineer, but the decision was fateful. Driven by events beyond his control, he became involved in a desperate struggle to save his marriage and his career.
© J. Gordon Mumford
www.canauthorsvancouver.org/mumford/africa.html
Updated: May 18, 2008