Product Description
Presents the history and culture of the kingdom which 500 years ago outshone all others on Africa's west coast and which is now part of Nigeria. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Will The Real Benin Reveal Itself
From the outside, it looks like a children's book that would have large printed words and full page color photos that take up half the book.

Not so. The content may be about 25% color photos and the printing is large enough to read, but it does contain information on an adult level, considering the fact that you probably know nothing about the country.

There is not much real information available in book form about Benin. The well know travel books just include Benin as one of the many countries located in Africa and contains tiny little writing and small black and white maps that are nearly impossible to see. They really don't show or explain the real background of the country or how it operates today.

This book would be a good place to start in your exploration of the country. After you read this book you can then go onto the travel guides and hopefully find the nitty gritty details and figure out where you really want to stay or visit.

The book is a trifle expensive for the information contained in it. I also think that it glosses over the relative low level of the infrastructure prevalent in the country. A picture of residents selling smuggled Nigerian gasoline in glass jugs from a roadside table probably more likely truly portrays everyday life in the country.

This book is a good addition in my quest to find out all I can about Benin before I even attempt to plan a visit there next year. I'm glad I found it.
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Portrays the West African kingdom of Benin as it existed when visited by the Portuguese in 1472 and describes its customs and the ceremony surrounding the Oba. ... Read more

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Contrary to conventional wisdom on democratic transition in Africa, civil society alone does not trigger democratization on the continent. "Determinants of Democratization in Africa" fills an important theoretical gap, by shedding light on the key variables to democratic transitions in Africa. Mathurin C. Houngnikpo demonstrates that democratic renewal in Africa depends more on the Military, incumbent leaders' willingness for change, and foreign influence. Houngnikpo shows, through a study of Benin and Togo, that civil society is necessary but not sufficient for democratization on the continent. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Innovative look at democracy in Africa
This is the best book I have read on democratization in a very long time.The author argues persuasively that those interested in democracy should engage, rather than alienate, the military governments that they seek to replace.He supports this thesis with detailed and compelling case studies.This book is highly recommended to anyone interested in democratization. ... Read more

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This book, divided into two broad sections, examines the state in the Republic of Benin and the socio-political role of the Christian churches. The first looks at the remarkable pre-colonial kingdom of Danxom- and its place in the imagining of the modern contrat social beninois. The second section looks at both the historical role of the mainline churches and the more recent development of a Christianisme beninois. The study concludes that the churches are above all a commentary upon the society in which they find themselves. Rather than an overt challenge to the state, they articulate social distress and the desire for a different future. In times of stress they may prove to be the only viable institutional buttress as well as the arbiter. This study seeks to make a contribution to the understanding of the public role of Christian churches in Africa. ... Read more

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As a result of new research, we can now paint a more complex picture of peoples and cultures in the south Atlantic, from the earliest period of the slave trade up to the present. The nine papers in this volume indicate that a dynamic and continuous movement of peoples east as well as west across the Atlantic forged diverse and vibrant re-inventions and re-interpretations of the rich mix of cultures represented by Africans and peoples of African descent on both continents. ... Read more

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This work is part of a comprehensive series of reference books providing a look at the way of life, beliefs and achievements of the ancient cultures. It begins with early African kingdoms such as Kush, Mali, Ife and Zimbabwe, before moving on to Benin, its warrior kings, contact with Europe, decline and fall. It then turns to later kingdoms, Asante and the Zulus. The second half looks at politics and society, trade, military life, religion, art and everyday life in the kingdoms, especially Benin. The final chapter examines their legacy for present day Africa. ... Read more

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This introduction to thr decorative arts of Africa describes and illustrates --in beautiful drawings and photographs --examples drawn from all over the continent and from different periods of time. ... Read more

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Wives of the Leopard explores power and culture in a precolonial West African state, Dahomey, whose army of women and practice of human sacrifice earned it notoriety in the racist imagination of late nineteenth-century Europe and America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Top-notch history
If you are interested in the history of African kingdoms, the former Slave Coast, kingdom politics or just ethnography, this book is worth your time to read.It is not "gender history," it is a well-rounded, well-researched examination of an unusual kingdom, presenting many sides of the complex society which produced and supported the monarchy, including the wives of the kings and their important roles.

I live and work in Benin, West Africa (formerly Dahomey) among the descendents of the very people Edna Bay has written about.Many of my friends trace their lineage to the kings of Dahomey and Allada.I spend my time in their villages, speak their languages (Ayizo & Fon), listen to their stories, and share their lives.In several cases Bay's discussion of the way things "were" describe very well the way things are right now in the lives of my village friends. Several of her observations also helped to clarify and articulate cultural attitudes that differ from my own.In other words: she's done her research well.

Bay's commentary on history and how it's written, particularly in the context of the kingdom of Dahomey, is fascinating all by itself.Her more general first chapters are informative.The subsequent chapters, which are divided by the reigns of the kings, are more detailed.Although keeping track of some of the titles and the players can get a little tricky, the chapters are well-woven and paint a strong picture of the kingdom and its development.

No work is perfect, of course, and there are a few items which differ from my experience or the information provided by my Beninoix friends, but without doubt this book is worth reading.

On a technical note I would suggest that the title of the book would be better as "Mothers of the Leopard" since "Kpojito" is literally translated as "the leopard giving-birth person."

All in all, it's a book worth having. ... Read more

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"Excerpt from the book..."

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the coastal parts of Africa
were of course well-known, and in any of the territories round the
coasts there were European officials
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"Excerpt from the book..."

Have any of you made a passage on board a steamer between London and
Leith?If you have, you will have seen no small number of brigs and
brigantines
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Book Review

Many people merely dream of traveling around the world. This highly unusual man acts on his dreams. Every time he starts to wonder about an interesting place he has not been, he simply packs his bags, grabs a camera and goes to the airport to claim his seat. Soon he is in Brazil, China, Africa or anywhere there are people to meet, things to see and do, like taking pictures, buying art, shaking hands, asking questions and being entertained by professional guides and story tellers. "Hello, how are you, good to meet you. I'm Leon Freeman from Memphis, Tennessee." I found his introduction by a tribesman in Papua New Guinea as a cousin the most striking story of them all.

Mr. Freeman retired from his school teaching career and immediately set out to explore the world. Over the years he visited five continents, sixty-two countries and a string of islands ringing the globe like pearls. He discovered one satisfying fundamental fact: in human essence, we are all one. Whatever differences there might be in our outer physical appearance or our diverse cultural extensions, there are no qualitative differences to the principle: 'all human babies are created equal.'

In this picture book, Mr. Freeman provides the viewer with unforgettable, vicarious experiences to enjoy time and time again for many years to come.

- Maia Jaribu Ajanaku, SMU - Retired Teacher, Entrepreneur ... Read more