Middlemen of the Cameroons Rivers: The Duala and their Hinterland, c.1600-c.1960 (African Studies) [Hardcover]

Ralph A. Austen (Author), Jonathan Derrick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0521562287 | ISBN-13: 978-0521562287 0

This book is about the Duala "middlemen," who functioned as intermediaries between Europeans and their own hinterland for over three hundred years. Originally traders in ivory, slaves and palm products, they then became colonial-era cocoa planters, and finally took a leading role in anti-colonial politics. One of their lasting advantages was European education, which they used to develop ideas about their ethnicity and its historical basis. The authors criticize these local beliefs about the past but indicate what they reveal about power and identity in this region and elsewhere in Africa.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With a sure hand, the authors analyze Duala trading history with reference to the historiography of the more important trading communities of southeastern Nigeria. Their coverage of economic, political, social, and cultural changes will be of interest to scholars of a number of disciplines." David Northup, Journal of Interdisciplinary History

"...let us be grateful for their thorough history of the Duala which will not be superceded soon." Jan Vansina, American Historical Review

Book Description

This book is about the Duala 'middlemen', who functioned as intermediaries between Europeans and their own hinterland for over 300 years. Originally traders in ivory, slaves and palm products, they then became colonial-era cocoa planters, and finally took a leading role in anti-colonial politics. One of their lasting advantages was European education, which they used to develop ideas about their ethnicity and its historical basis. The authors criticize these local beliefs about the past but indicate what they reveal about power and identity in this region and elsewhere in Africa.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 266 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521562287
• ISBN-13: 978-0521562287
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,069,930 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #76 in Books > History > Africa > Cameroon

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