Max Havelaar: or, The Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company (1976)

"One man against an empire of greed."

An idealistic Dutch colonial officer posted to Indonesia in the 19th century is convinced that he can make the kinds of changes that will actually help the local people he is in charge of, but circumstances soon make him realize just how out of touch he really is, and it doesn't take long for things to go from bad to worse.