Strong Brown God Pa 91

The book is very good and easy to read (includes maps and a good index). It is true that the author only shows some aspects of its subject matter (mostly european discovery, conquest and colonisation) and thus the book may be considered a bit limited in its scope, but otherwise it would have probably missed the target becoming a tedious scholarly volume. Nevertheless it is a very interesting introduction to the area and gives a good insight of the way the french and the british faced and handled their imperial aspirations.I also strongly reccomend the excellent book on the River Congo by Peter Forbath, which follows a similar pattern and which will help you complete a vast panorama on West Africa.

A wonderfully readable history of the Niger River, and the fascinating personalities that made that history.