The People of the River

The second book in the ‘Sanders of the River’ series, ‘The People of the River’ gives us a little more insight into the working of the eponymous Commissioner’s mind.

Wonderfully witty, decidedly facetious, and always irreverent, this is a collection of encounters between Commissioner Sanders and the Nigerian natives under colonial rule.

In addition to the vignettes Wallace paints, this serves as a fascinating record of the cultural clash experienced by both the invaders and the oppressed.

A superb read for Wallace fans and those with an interest in history, where the lines between fact and fiction are brilliantly blurred. Prior to the success of ´King Kong´, which he co-created, Edgar Wallace published a selection of tales about Commissioner Sanders and his adventures in Africa under British rule. Born in London, Edgar Wallace (1875 – 1932) was an English writer so prolific that his publisher claimed that he was responsible for a quarter of all books sold in England. Leaving school at the age of 12, Wallace made his first steps into the literary world by selling newspapers on the corner of Fleet Street. He worked as a war correspondent after joining the army at age 21, which honed his writing abilities. This led to the creation of his first book ‘The Four Just Men.’ Wallace is best remembered as the co-creator of ‘King Kong,’ which has been adapted for film 12 times (most notably directed by ‘Lord of the Rings’ director, Peter Jackson, and starring Jack Black and Naomi Watts). However, he leaves behind an extensive body of work, including stories such as ‘The Crimson Circle’ and ‘The Flying Squad’.