Africanus Horton, 1835-1883, West African scientist and patriot

by Christopher Fyfe

James Africanus Beale Horton was a remarkable figure on the West African scene of the last century. This is a full-length biography of the talented and versatile man-physician, British Army officer, mining entrepreneur, banker - who was one of the most prolific West African authors of his time. Indeed, his most important legacy is "West African Countries and Peoples" written in 1868 to answer the newly-emerging champions of white racism, a book which predicted with uncanny accuracy the path Africa was to follw in the 1950s and 60s. Horton's life and career are portrayed against the political, economic and intellectual background of his own West Africa under the impact of colonial rule.