"This work serves as a prequel to Falola's earlier Violence in Nigeria (CH, Feb'99, 36-3580), a somber look at religious violence in the late 20th century. The current work deals with political and other public mayhem, with a chapter on gendered violence. Falola (Texas) describes late-19th-century British conquests, the role of force in sustaining colonial rule, taxation conflicts (a notably gendered issue during the 1929 Women's War in southeastern Nigeria), and labor struggles and riots and concludes that colonial-era violence severely scarred Nigerian political culture. A seemingly surprising chapter on verbal violence is valid in encompassing threats, implications of force, and assertive 1940s nationalism. The main argument is familiar: foreign conquest and domination lie at the root of the problem. This is true enough but implicitly downplays the impact of precolonial violence, including indigenous state building and slave raiding. The book ends in the early 1950s, short of independence. This gap leaves hope that Falola will complete a trilogy assessing developments from the 1950s through the 1970s, including the tragic Biafra War. This book is another strong contribution from Africa's most prolific historian. Summing Up: Recommended. College and large public libraries, undergraduates and above. Choice"
Universityof New Hampshire - Funso Afolayan
Well-researched, well-written with its richly textured and nuanced analysis, it is the first study to attempt a general and cohesive overview of the connections between violence and imperialism in colonial Nigeria.
T. P. Johnson
This work serves as a prequel to Falola's earlier Violence in Nigeria (CH, Feb'99, 36-3580), a somber look at religious violence in the late 20th century. The current work deals with political and other public mayhem, with a chapter on gendered violence. Falola (Texas) describes late-19th-century British conquests, the role of force in sustaining colonial rule, taxation conflicts (a notably gendered issue during the 1929 Women's War in southeastern Nigeria), and labor struggles and riots and concludes that colonial-era violence severely scarred Nigerian political culture. A seemingly surprising chapter on verbal violence is valid in encompassing threats, implications of force, and assertive 1940s nationalism. The main argument is familiar: foreign conquest and domination lie at the root of the problem. This is true enough but implicitly downplays the impact of precolonial violence, including indigenous state building and slave raiding. The book ends in the early 1950s, short of independence. This gap leaves hope that Falola will complete a trilogy assessing developments from the 1950s through the 1970s, including the tragic Biafra War. This book is another strong contribution from Africa's most prolific historian. Summing Up: Recommended. College and large public libraries, undergraduates and above. —Choice
Kent State University - Felix Ekechi
Colonial violence treated from the point of view of the African victims/colonized, not from the self-serving perspective of European/British conquerors and colonizers.
T. P. Johnson]]>
This work serves as a prequel to Falola's earlier Violence in Nigeria (CH, Feb'99, 36-3580), a somber look at religious violence in the late 20th century. The current work deals with political and other public mayhem, with a chapter on gendered violence. Falola (Texas) describes late-19th-century British conquests, the role of force in sustaining colonial rule, taxation conflicts (a notably gendered issue during the 1929 Women's War in southeastern Nigeria), and labor struggles and riots and concludes that colonial-era violence severely scarred Nigerian political culture. A seemingly surprising chapter on verbal violence is valid in encompassing threats, implications of force, and assertive 1940s nationalism. The main argument is familiar: foreign conquest and domination lie at the root of the problem. This is true enough but implicitly downplays the impact of precolonial violence, including indigenous state building and slave raiding. The book ends in the early 1950s, short of independence. This gap leaves hope that Falola will complete a trilogy assessing developments from the 1950s through the 1970s, including the tragic Biafra War. This book is another strong contribution from Africa's most prolific historian. Summing Up: Recommended. College and large public libraries, undergraduates and above. Choice