Walvin's book is an excellent summary of the most recent round of scholarship concerning the British end of the Atlantic slave trade. The book is short and to the point, but is very readable and laced with anecdotes. Walvin moves Africans to center stage as players in the drama equal in importance to the Europeans. Walvin's book would be an excellent choice for an undergraduate text or for someone just wanting to understand what the Atlantic slave trade was all about. Scholars will be familiar with most of the material that Walvin reports, but may find a few unfamiliar odds and ends. All in all, highly recommended.

I bought Malaria Dreams before I went to West Africa, but only recently read it. I am glad I waited, because without having been there, I would not have been able to appreciate how accurately Stu describes very real situations. His style and humor, however, should appeal to anyone.

Anyone who has any interest in traditional West African society should read this book. McNaughton discusses the roles, image and social context of the blacksmiths of the Mande peoples of West Africa. Blacksmiths are not simply artisans, they are skilled manipulators of supernatural power (called nyama in Bambara. As such they are considered in the same vein as jeliw (bards, praise-singers) and sorcerors. They are also woodworkers, potters, circumcisers, and workers of magic. Specifically located in Mali, this study examines the world of the blacksmiths in relation to local rulers, villagers and visitng foreigners.

McNaughton's work emphasizes an anthropological perspective and he worked with and was finally apprenticed to several blacksmiths in the course of his fieldwork. Even though this is a very scholarly book, and at times very dense, it is well worth the effort required to get through it. Like John Miller Chernoff's "African Rhythms and African Sensibility", this book deserves pride of place among people who are serious about expressive culture in West Africa.

As a primer to the deep knowledge that comes out of the continent, this book presents an extraodinary and powerful introduction. A bonus for musicians and rhythmatists: check out the excerpt where he talks about the way the blacksmiths play drum rhythms on their bellows to accompany their work and the rhythms "played" by the women as they work pounding millet in the compound. Magic.

Probably the best map of the region for planning an overland expedition for travel. Although becoming outdated with the use of GPS, it is nonetheless the map for determing overall a trip to the region.

This book offers a comprehrensive insight in the colourful world of the many types beads used in the trade with West Africa. With about 3000 diffrent colour combinations of glass beads. A must for every collector of beads. And fun to recognise the collected beads.

I spent almost all of my professional career concerned with the mapping of Africa. And in the course of mapping one scans and extracts a lot of information from various open sources. In the course of this study I became familiar with the social, economic, and military happenings in Southern Africa.
I can say that except for the works of Al J. Venter, a reporter from South Africa, there are very few books with detail on the bush wars conducted by black nationalists in opposition to the minority white rule resulting from colonialism. And often the insurgents had clashed among themselves for ethnic reasons and some blacks remained loyal to the minority governments.
In other cases, when the white rulers gave up and went home as did the Portuguese in Angola and Moçambique the remaining contenders began civil wars backed by the west and by the Communists respectively. In 1976, the Portuguese Army had revolted in protest to the endless bush wars in Africa and overthrew the government. The army had been especially disgusted with the conflict in defense of Portuguese Guinea-(now Guinea-Bissau) located on the shoulder of West Africa, a hot and worthless swamp land which had no economic value and a land where there were few white settlers.
In contrast, the Portuguese ruled lands in Southern Africa had a large settler class, intermarriage was common,for there was no color line there, as there was in English speaking colonies. But still the post independence unrest was such that most of the settlers migrated back to Portugal and some to Brazil. A civil war ensued which is still going on.
Immediately to the south of Angola lies the land of SW Africa, now Namibia, whose international status was not that of a colony but that of a UN mandate gone bad. After WW I the League of Nations had assigned the governing of the former German colony of South West Africa to the Union of South Africa recently formed from the former British colonies of Cape Province and Natal and the two former Boer Republics, conquered in the Boer War at the turn of the century. At that time world opinion backed the poor pitiful (sic) Boers against the big bad British Empire. The black inhabitants of the area had had no say in the matter. They were just there.
The unique thing about the Boers or Afrikaaners, as we now call them is that, first, they had been settled originally some 400 years ago. The cape was a natural stopping point for ships sailing to India before the Suez Canal was buit and the magnificent harbor of Capetown was a busy place. So busy that the English started to settle there, finally took over and the Boers moved inland to get away and enjoy self rule.
This is part of the national legend of the Voortrekkers. Oxcarts across the prairies to the promised land. Does this sound like our western movement in the US? Especially that of the Mormons. The anology certainly rang a bell with American public opinion in the days of the Boer War.
The Boers were a hard people in a hard land. When they moved northeast in their great migration, they ran into another great migration coming southwest from the area of present day Zimbabwe. These were the ancestors of the Zulus who were quite a contrast to the meek Bushmen that the Afrikaners had first encountered. Another hard people. Well the Boers won the first round and subjugated the African tribes. The African majority finally achieved political freedom under the leadership of Nelson Mandela after fifty years of struggle. Now we can hope they get it all sorted out and enforce the social peace which is lacking and spread the economic bounty to a wider participation. The majority is composed of pure blooded Africans.
Now we know why the Afrikaners were so stubborn in clinging to their rule. Even though they were descended from Dutch settlers, so many years ago, their language is now a distinct one. Afrikaans is even the mother tongue of the Colored peoples, the term used for people of mixed white and black ancestry. What this means is that, contrasted to the British descended South African whites and those from India, the fourth major racial group in SA, they are a tribe and think of themselves as such. They are not transplanted Englishmen who, if displaced, could fly back to Blighty; the Afrikaaners cannot go back, they are home. Thus their stubborn efforts to resist assimilation for all the 200 years since the British came to Cape Colony.
For many years the Afrikaaners saw the tides of black nationalism and liberation wash up far away from their borders; so long as Portugal held out in southern Africa and the white Rhodesian regime remained in power there was precious little that armed opposition could do. International sanctions imposed by the UN in response to the refusal to give Namibia its freedom, meant little with such a huge barrier area. Although Namibia had been long ruled as the "Fifth Province", its economic system integrated into that of SA, it is still rich enough in resources and has a population that can go it alone.
Finally, the South African forces which had operated in Namibia and in southern Angola after its independence came home.

Originally, I borrowed this book from the library and it was so good I just purchased a copy! I've read many cookbooks over the years, but I find this one to be exceptional in many ways. First, it's bound like ALL cookbooks should be (spiral), so it lies flat. Second, the recipes are easy to follow and use common ingredients. Third, the food is GOOD! I've made ginger beer, jollof rice (which has become a family favorite), Nigerian Chicken, and a few other dishes that were all hits! Even the spicier foods were winners with the kids. I especially enjoy the fact that there are African American dishes included that bring back fond childhood memories. This book would make a great gift and I plan on giving it to several friends that are getting married soon (as well as for Kwanzaa!).

My cooking. The West African Cookbook is one of the few African Cookbook availlable on line. I was able to obtain one for myself after I saw one with my friend. I have since been using the book and it is amazing how easy it is to use the book. Perhaps the most amazing thing about this book is it authenticity. It is pure African. There are several ways to cook BLACK-EYED PEA and they are delicious.The Coconut rice and the Fried plantain are good together. This coming Xmas I am going to buy some for my friends as gifts. I think anyone who has a taste for African food should have a copy of this book.

The book concentrates on the study of bilateral relations between France and Ivory Coast during 1956 - 1966. This particular case study unravels the intricate relationship between a highly industrialised metropolitan power and an emerging, developing African State on the other. The book analyses the relationship between France and Ivory Coast in two periods i.e. 1956 - 1960 (pre-colonial) and 1960 - 1966 (post-colonial). In fact, this is a first work by an Indian on this interesting topic.

Asa prelude, the author gives a detailed description of the state of Ivory of Coast along with contours of French colonial rule in Western Africa. He points out that among the territories of French West Africa, Ivory Coast, which was colonised in 1904, was an important coastal State, rich in terms of natural resources and agriculture. Moreover, it has been the meeting ground of two religions, namely, Islam and Christianity. Among the groups of countries, which the French ruled with a centralised administrative system, France was largely exploiting the rich plantation economy of Ivory Coast by cultivating coffee and cocoa.

Given this context, the book analyses the interdependence of West African States with its metropolitan power i.e. France. In the process, several instances are cited in the book where French-West African relations in the period influenced the domestic politics of France. The book problematises the concept of interdependence in the region. Harshe argues that this interdependence emanates from the predicament of both the parties. France desperately wanted to continue its colonial domination over its West African dependencies while the countries in the region wanted developmental aid and logistics from its colonial master to sustain its economy. This situation prompted both the parties to enter into interdependence. The author points out several reforms such as Loi-Cadre Reforms, the grouping called Community, entente, etc introduced by France to keep its colonies in its fold. He also sketches the responses of political parties of the region to these reforms thereby showcasing the evolution and activities of political parties in the region. In this regard, the book clearly absorbs the conflicting viewpoints, manipulations and manoeuvres of political parties in the region in their policy towards the metropolitan power.

At the same time, some of the socio political changes in West Africa after the Second World War paved the way for a climate of political understanding between France and its colonial states in the region. The momentum for this process was accelerated with the emergence of an educated elite in West Africa. In a way, this helped in the advent of powerful regional leaders, like Houphouet Boigny and Auguste Denise in Ivory Coast.

Harshé argues that before attaining full-fledged independence, Ivory Coast tried to find space within the colonial set-up to further its own interest. This manoeuvre put Ivory Coast in a vintage position, strong enough to influence the national policies of France. For instance, Houphouet Boigny, the Ivorian leader campaigned vigorously in the French National Assembly for the abolishing forced labour which led to the passing of the bill of abolition of 'forced labour' in 1950.

Harshé points out that by entering the "Community", which comprised France and its West African colonies, Ivory Coast benefited economically in terms of French investment in the country. At the same time, France benefited by bringing together countries in the region within the Community, and thereby resisting de-colonisation process in the region, especially, in Algeria. By strongly supporting French African amity, Ivory Coast emerged as the frontline leader of French West Africa. For instance, during a referendum, Ivory Coast voted largely for a "Community" in the region. In fact, Ivory Coast was the last country to demand independence from France in the region. Thus, unlike Guinea, which broke away from the Community and suffered economically in its domestic front, Ivory Coast was pragmatic in its approach vis-à-vis its domestic interests. The author argues that by entering into the entente state, France and Ivory Coast benefited immensely. The author puts forth empirical data in support of flourishing trade between the two in 1960 - 1966, which was showed trade surplus in favour of Ivory Coast.

Therefore, according to Harshé, the entente was neither a colonial manoeuvre of a metropolitan power nor the dependence of a colonised subject, but a mutually beneficial measure. In fact, this thesis takes a middle path from one extreme of scholars such as Samir Amin and the other, Elliot Berg. This original thesis makes this book significantly different from other works on this particular area. The author substantiates his arguments with coherent logic and a focussed theme, which is enriched with a corpus of empirical data.

Nevertheless, an additional analysis of cultural and societal aspects of Ivory Coast during entente state would have helped the reader to understand how strong the interdependence was. This notion is basically emanated from the fact that racial problems which were a prominent bone of contention within any African society that broke away from colonial yoke.

On the whole, the book is a guiding light for a serious student of international relations, in general, and African affairs, in particular. The book equips scholars to analyse African affairs with historical vigour. In addition, the book throws light on the intricate dynamics of colonialism in a particular period of history in Africa. It shows, how, in a period, where, countries around the world were clamouring for freedom, a country (here Ivory Coast) pragmatically opted a middle path of being enriched by its colonial master (France) to foster its domestic economic interests.

Judy Rosenthal explains the Ewes' (pronounced Ev'he) cultural mobility as simultaneously a spiritual expression of African individuality and personhood. She argues that we must begin "with the knowledge that Ewe culture travels and is traveling... Ewe personhood is a travel narrative." The Ewe people lifestyle, material production and familial reproduction are all contingent on regular mobility but irregular movement; from town to town, village to village, and from colonial anathema (a.k.a. Ghana & Togo) to post-colonial anathema. Spiritual production is no exception to this; not only do Ewes move around Ewe-land from gorovodu ceremony to Afa divination ritual, but the spirits they celebrate are those of the mobile: of northern slaves and of rural migrants. Moreover, her compelling analysis of Ewe slave-spirit possession guides the reader to the very un-Western possibility that, upon this cultural continuity in the form of celebrating slave ancestors, is dependent Ewe "individuation and individuality". Drawing on de Surgy , she claims Ewe individuation is more personal and unique than Western individualism, "yet never whole or completely separated from other persons, spirits and times" - pulling constantly on the spirits and community memories of those whose lives were framed by mobility and migration. This book has significantly influenced my own research and methodology and is Highly Recommended to academics and novices/fetichists. Benjamin Nicholas LAWRANCE Stanford University