The premise of this work is twofold: one, that unlike in other British colonies in West Africa, colonial rule in the Gambia was anchored largely on the support and loyalty of district chiefs, and not on military might, complex colonial administrative machinery or massive propaganda. Two, that Gambian chiefs expressed keen loyalty to the British throughout the colonial period through confidence building measures like sending their children to school, support to Britain during the two World Wars, mobilising local resources and labour for infrastructure development and by running efficient Native Tribunals and Treasuries which provided the social and fiscal control needed for colonial stability and exploitation. This book is a great addition to the literature on Gambian history.