Experience the vibrant and volatile life of Africa's struggle for a "second revolution" in this penetrating narrative portrait of a continent at a turning point in history.

Based on hundreds of interviews—with traditional healers, chiefs, business innovators, scientists, generals, doctors, poets, and politicians—Into the House of the Ancestors goes beyond clichéd images of corruption, brutality, and starvation to illuminate the essence of Africa's extraordinary spirit. With an exceptional combination of insight and information, leading journalist Karl Maier reveals a rising force of activists and innovators taking control of their lives and their destinies in ways that are ingenious and inspirational. Distinctively African, they are forging a quiet revolution that holds immense promise for the continent's future.

As strikingly varied as the continent itself, Africans today are courageously "innovating the past," reviving and expanding the rich traditions of their cultures to find African solutions to Africa's problems. Turning away from dependence on foreign development and relief funds, these trailblazers are also rejecting the corruption and debilitating inefficiencies of postcolonialism and are demanding fundamental reforms.

Key to understanding the true complexity of Africa today, Maier argues, is an appreciation of the rich blending of tradition and modernization that infuses everyday life. From the spirit called Mungoi, who protects a small village from the ravages of a war in Mozambique, to the remarkable young woman doctor—trained in modern medicine—who becomes a Zulu chief, Maier captures the untold stories that reveal how creatively Africans are connecting tradition to development.

Maier grounds his hopeful view of Africa's potential not only on contemporary reporting, but on the keen perspectives and insights of the continent's most distinguished historians. Providing crucial context about the scope and impact of the slave trade and the colonial period, Maier offers a probing analysis of the key aspects of Africa's past that shape the challenges for the future.

Unique among books on Africa today, Into the House of the Ancestors comes right out of the virtually unknown wellspring of energy and commitment, profoundly determining the future course of scores of nations and their continent.

Praise for INTO THE HOUSE OF THE ANCESTORS

"Both well-informed and comprehensive, bearing witness to an experience of Africa both deep and wide. Above all, a very balanced book, reflecting a real human understanding." — Abiola Irele

"Maier comes to us as one who has had a great deal of empathy for Africa. The actors are African, and he is fully respectful of his subject matter." — Peter Ekeh

Experience Africa's vibrant and volatile struggle at the crossroads between tradition and modernity . . .

INTO THE HOUSE OF THE ANCESTORS

"Rich . . . fascinating." —The New York Times Book Review

"A master of eyewitness description and of the telling interview, [Maier] has unearthed Africa's hidden heroes and heroines." —Financial Times

"Maier has written a sensitive and complex narrative. . . . excellent descriptions of the lives and experiences of both ordinary and extraordinary individuals in different parts of Africa." —Richard Leakey, The Times (London)

"A remarkable book. . . . It is no easy task to articulate an intangible undercurrent in an area so geographically large and culturally diverse, but Maier has succeeded admirably. Maier gives us hope that [the Africans] can rebound and even thrive. Highly recommended." —Library Journal

Maier, who for ten years was The Independent's correspondent in Angola, discusses the realities behind the country's civil war as well as giving a vivid eyewitness account of the devastation it caused. Skeptical of both sides' promises and lies, his is a classic account of one of the civil wars that continue to plague Africa.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Der Verband Der Glacehandschuhmacher Und Verwandten Arbeiter Deutschlands, 1869-1900; Volume 12 Of Wirtschafts- Und Verwaltungsstudien Mit Besonderer Berucksichtigung Bayerns Adam Karl Maier A. Deichert, 1901 Gloves; Working class

To understand Africa, one must understand Nigeria, and few Americans understand Nigeria better than Karl Maier. "This House Has Fallen" is a bracing and disturbing report on the state of Africa's most populous, potentially richest, and most dangerously dysfunctional nation.Each year, with depressing consistency, Nigeria is declared the most corrupt state in the entire world. Though Nigeria is a nation into which billions of dollars of oil money flow, its per capita income has fallen dramatically in the past two decades. Military coup follows military coup. A bellwether for Africa, it is a country of rising ethnic tensions and falling standards of living, very possibly on the verge of utter collapse -- a collapse that could dramatically overshadow even the massacres in Rwanda.A brilliant piece of reportage and travel writing, "This House Has Fallen"looks into the Nigerian abyss and comes away with insight, profound conclusions, and even some hope. Updated with a new preface by the author.