This collection of essays bring historical perspectives to the present and future of Africa. The contributors argue that at the time when the 'nation state' is in crisis after some forty decades of factitious sovereignty, the challenge remains to renew the pan-African ideal, beginning with the rediscovery of historical consciousness. They conclude that aspirations for regional integration must be reconciled with a unified continental assembly; and that pan-Africanism must be reactivated as a political project to promote viable economic development and an African renaissance. Thieno Bah is...