Putting together this book has not been an easy process and we must relay our thanks to those who have supported us in bringing it to completion. Much appreciation is due to Ken Barlow of Zed Books for patiently cajoling us to make progress despite endless missed deadlines, to Jacqueline Therkelsen for tirelessly tidying up our referencing and textual inconsistencies, and also to Lisa Thorley and Isaac Kankam-Boadu for the detailed background research which underpins Chapter 3.
This book is dedicated to Professor Tony Barnett for his contribution to the study of African societies, politics and culture.