Masque of Africa

More than a travelogue, Naipaul considers the effects of belief - indigenous, foreign, cult and mythical - upon the progress of African civilisation. From Uganda to Ghana, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Gabon and South Africa, Naipaul examines the quality of the old world of magic and its enduring power, taking into account political and economic realities. 'Compelling, insightful, often sombrely beautiful' }Sunday Telegraph{