Ghana Books

In The Danish Literary Magazine (Autumn 06), Marianne Stecher-Hansen of the University of Washington, writes:

"Prior to the publication of Hansen's trilogy, Denmark's role in the slave trade was a point of national pride, supported by the disputable claim that Denmark was the first nation in the world to abolish slave trading in 1792. In producing a compelling documentary narrative dealing with a dark chapter in Denmark's imperialist past, Hansen made his mark as an intellectual provocateur and popular historian.

Over thirty-five years ago, Thorkild Hansen published a monumental trilogy which brought to life Denmark's past as a colonial power participating in the atrocities of slave trading and slave labor. Slavernes Kyst (The Slave Coast, 1967), Slavernes Skibe (The Slave Ships, 1968) and Slavernes Øer (The Slave Islands, 1970) constitute Thorkild Hansen's well-researched, masterfully written and most ambitious documentary project, winning him the prestigious Nordic Council's literary award in 1971.

The Slave Coast, the first volume of the trilogy, offers a history of "Danish Guinea" (south- eastern Ghana), where the Danish state maintained five forts for the purpose of employing Africans as slave labour for its West Indian colonies. The second volume, The Slave Ships, describes the infernal conditions aboard the slave ships which transported African prisoners from the forts to the colonies in the West Indies, where they were sold on the auction block to Danish plantation owners. Of the tens of thousands of Africans transported, Hansen estimates that one fifth perished in the packed holds of the ships which drifted across the windless 'Middle Passage'.

The Slave Islands, the final volume, is a tour de force, which dramatizes the entire history of the Danish West Indies, which included the islands of St. Croix, St. Jan, and St. Thomas (now the US Virgin Islands), from the arrival of the first colonists in 1671 to the sale of the islands to the United States in 1917 for 25 million dollars.

The Slave Islands is the masterpiece in Hansen's trilogy (and arguably in his entire literary oeuvre). In it, the author casts new light on significant historical events on the islands: the St. Jan uprising of 1733 led by an African chieftain; the influential role of the Pietistic missionaries; and the role of Governor Peter von Scholten in bringing about the Emancipation Act of 1848.

In addition to the imaginative reconstruction of key historical events and historic figures, Hansen provides a chillingly accurate depiction of the barbarous working conditions on the sugar plantations and in the sugar mills, the profitable state-supported industry which perpetuated the enslavement of Africans for forced labor until 1848. Hansen lays bare the economic structures behind the demand for slave labor, demonstrating that the introduction of sugar beet in Northern Europe in the early 1800s meant an abrupt decline in the Danish demand for West Indian sugar cane and hence a loss of political support for slavery.

Thorkild Hansen is neither a conventional historian nor a traditional historical novelist; his documentary narratives fall into the alluring grey area between history and fiction known as "documentary fiction". Hansen ranked alongside pioneering literary giants such as P.O. Enquist. Always clever and manipulative, often ironic and sardonic, Hansen holds a wealth of historical secrets at his command and makes use of all the rhetorical devices of literary fiction."

More than the title reveals, Colors of Ghana is a delightfulintroduction to a plethora of facts about Ghana. The book starts witha solid introduction about the country: flora and fauna, borders,population, ancient and modern history, and languages. It then goes on to enlighten the reader using ten colors: gold, white, orange, gray, green, black, tan, blue, brown, and silver. Each color is used to introduce various cultural, geographical, historical, and other aspects of Ghana. Gold represents the Golden Stool, the symbol of prowess and freedom of the Asante people. White symbolizes various traditional ceremonies, such as babies' naming rites. Orange, the background of the Kyeretiwe kente cloth is presented in the most fascinating manner. The grim slave walls in Elmina are designated by the color gray, while land and wildlife are portrayed by green. Black stands for the black star in the middle of the Ghanaian flag. Tan is the color of traditional drums used for various ceremonies, as well as conveying messages before the advent of telecommunication devices. Blue represents the waters of the Volta Lake, the source of electricity, irrigation and fish life in Ghana. Brown denotes the color of cacao pods that have become roasted in the sun. Finally, silver exemplifies the web of Ananse the spider, the clever character that spans many tales in Ghana and the African Diaspora.

Each section of the books begins with a pronunciation guide that facilitates the utterance of the color in question. Crisply clean illustrations adorn each section, adding meaning and better understanding of the various ideas presented.

This book is extraordinary in the sense that within a few pages, the reader is introduced to a vast repertoire of Ghanaian history, culture, and other factual pieces of information. Littlefield does an excellent job of weaving suspenseful stories around each color. Both children and adults will find Colors of Ghana a delightful companion.

The ways in which Dr. Boko analyzed the economical developments in many West African countries was outstanding. He was able to convey a detailed and well organized examination of the impact of the fiscal decentralization on subnational resource mobilization capacity and macroeconomic stability.

Usually economic books are extremely dense and quite frankly "hard reads" but Decentralization and Reform in Africa was not. Indeed it was thought-provoking and complex, but Boko seemed to relate ideas and recommendations in an understandably unique fashion.

In the end, it was quite simply a great read. I look forward to future works by this author.

John M. Chernoff's "Exchange Is Not Robbery" continues the adventures of Hawa, the West African bar girl introduced in "Hustling Is Not Stealing", which appeared several years ago. The two volumes are best read continuously, giving the reader the benefit of Chernoff's comprehensive and fascinating introduction to the first book. Hawa's vibrant personality and humor continue, but as she returns to Burkina Faso, the tone darkens somewhat. She moves between Ouagadougou and the village where her sick father lives, making observations about the sexual politics of being an "ashawo" and the economic stresses of the independent lifestyle she has chosen. Hilarious, but awful at the same time, are the stories of her encounters with French men (of whom she has a very low opinion!) and the lengths to which she must go just to survive. Awful but not hilarious at all is the oppressiveness of village life for women. Hawa never becomes bitter, but she expresses a greater sense of what her autonomy has cost her. This volume is also rich with folklore and magic, which blend seamlessly into the harshest realities. This book, like its predecessor, is unique and absolutely wonderful. I was sorry when it ended.

Gray's book does a masterful job of elucidating a key part of the Cold War. In looking at the Cold War in Europe, historians, both academic and popular/armchair, often overlook what America's allies were doing as they fought their own fronts in the larger Cold War. While NATO allies like Britain, Germany, and Italy were loyal supporters of the U.S., and they played a role in Washington's strategy, they also had their own agendas. Nowhere was this more important than in West Germany.

Unlike other American allies in Europe, West Germany had its own "personal" Cold War to fight (against East Germany). In doing so, however, its decisions could impact the larger global conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Additionally, West Germany was locked in a struggle with its own countrymen, in a sense. The "enemy" were fellow Germans.

Using a tremendous array of archival evidence, Gray demonstrates the origins, nuance, and development of West Germany's own Cold War strategy. His bibliography is very impressive. At one point, Amazon recommended buying this book together with Mary Sarotte's "Dealing with the Devil," also about Germany during the Cold War. The two books complement each other nicely, and the comparison is made even more intriguing by the fact that Sarotte and Gray both studied German history at Yale University, only a few years apart.

This book is necessary reading for the graduate student or scholar of the Cold War, and it is an excellent choice for the casual reader looking to go beyond the History Channel.

You know a photographer's work is significant when it makes you look at things you've seen before, a little differently. I grew up in Ghana and have traveled through a good portion of the country. Milligan's work is by far the most compelling and most flattering portrait of my native land, irrespective of medium. his photos communicate more than music or spoken narrative and some of his images are more dynamic than motion film. His feat is all the more remarkable when you take into account that most people in that part of the world are camera-shy. A great tribute to a beautiful country and a fantastic addition to any library. Simply amazing.

Hello, I am Clyde Chantler's grand daughter so am obviously bias about the book. If need be, you can contact me with any questions on the book on the email address provided. gwennie_c@hotmail.com

Father Jon Kirby's study of the religious system of the Chakosi began with his earlier linguistic work in Twi, for this laid the foundations for working in another Akan language, found isolated in northern Ghana and Togo as the result of an earlier movement of armed warriors. The area in which he carried out his studies is highly complex, consisting of a ruling estate of Akan origin, a Muslim estate of Hausa and Mande descent, plus autochthonous peoples speaking Komba, including many of slave origin incorporated into this warrior kingdom. In such a situation, there is no simple cultural unity. Practices differ in the various groups, territorial and hierarchical. So too do basic ideological notions, such as the extent of the commitment to a single, all-embracing spiritual agency, the High God. Individuals themselves move between various schema, in ways that they do not find contradictory but which create puzzles in the patterns. Indeed the extent to which there is a structural pattern as distinct from individual patterning is a matter for debate.

Dr. Kirby presents us with the first extensive study of a religious system of one of these 'polyethnic', 'polycultural' states of the savannah zone. The situation resembles in some respects that of the ascephalous 'tribal' peoples that Fortes and others have studied but in other ways it is very different. For here the elements of a religion of the book came into contact with the tribal practices and beliefs, in various ways depending upon the groups and individuals involved. It is Dr. Kirby's achievement to have thrown light on this highly complex situation, not only by an anthropological analysis of his own field data but by placing this in a historical regional context.

Excellent example of primary research material. The labors of the authors have provided us with an original manuscript and comments. Invaluable for scholarly research.

This book recounts the author's return to the West African country where she grew up. Called a lyrical memoir by the New York Times (9/11/88), Honey From the Lion provides fascinating insights into a young woman's transnational and cross-cultural coming of age. Ideal for all readers.