A Lodge in the Wilderness

"A Lodge in the Wilderness" is an 1906 novel by Scottish author John Buchan, which blends political theory with Buchan’s considerable insight into colonial politics, against the backdrop of a fictionalized East African landscape. Unlike Buchan's more famous adventure novels, this work is a political fantasy, an elaboration on the themes of civic duty and the role of the governing class, presented through a series of dialogues among characters representing various segments of British Imperial society.

The book is structured as a series of discussions taking place at a hunting lodge in East Africa, where a group of gentlemen, including politicians, businessmen, and philosophers, have gathered. They debate the future of the British Empire, discussing issues such as social reform, the administration of colonies, and the responsibilities of the elite to the wider populace. "A Lodge in the Wilderness" is a reflection on the British Empire at its zenith and provides a thoughtful examination of political and moral issues that were pertinent at the time.