Murder and Politics in Colonial Ghana [Hardcover]

Dr. Richard Rathbone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 23, 1993

This fascinating book recounts a pivotal event in West African history that provides important insights into law and politics in the colonial Gold Coast, and the clash between traditional and modern values, and the nature of African monarchy in the colonial period. This book tells the story of ritual murder in a kingdom of Ghana, of the trials and appeals of those accused of the crime, and of the radicalization of the black lawyers who confronted the colonial justice system and later began a struggle for self-government that led to Ghanian independence from Britain in 1957.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The relationship between colonial rulers and African subjects has often been painted in broad strokes. Rathbone, dean of African studies at the University of London, takes a closer look at that association in this finely detailed book. The scene revolves around the death of a Ghanaian chief in the mid-1940s, the ritual murder of one of his followers, and the trials of those accused of the killing. The telling of that story contains all the elements of a good mystery. The larger picture is not lost, for the author links these events to the emergence of the nationalist movement in Ghana. Recommended for libraries with African studies collections.
- Bill Rau, Takoma Park, Md.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 209 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (June 23, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300055048
• ISBN-13: 978-0300055047
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,839,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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