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

“Ray Yep is one of the leading historians of Hong Kong. His latest book, Man in a Hurry, compellingly tells the story of how Hong Kong’s state and civil society modernized under its longest-serving colonial governor, Murray MacLehose. Drawing on extensive research into newly-available primary sources, Yep shows that MacLehose, a “reluctant reformer”, navigated a path between an increasingly assertive and expectant population and a newly intrusive British political class to help create a prosperous and well-managed territory and a city of global importance. Anyone interested in the making of contemporary Hong Kong needs to read this book.”

—Mark Hampton, author of Hong Kong and British Culture, 1945–97

“Yep’s long-awaited book is the first archive-based account of MacLehose’s governorship through the lens of sovereign-colony interactions. By combining historical research with theoretical insights, the book not only makes a major contribution to Hong Kong and British imperial history, but also provides valuable lessons for managing post-1997 Beijing–SAR relations.”

—Chi-kwan Mark, Royal Holloway, University of London