"The first quality that captivates the reader of this unusual book on a segmentary society in confrontation with colonial modernity is the particularly meticulous identification of the sources...it...opens access to the life and words of prominent and brilliant Beti men who struggled, in their own day, with their own questions and answers." - Journal of African History

Relatively recent Bantu-speaking migrants to central Cameroon, the Beti have had an eventful history. Based on extensive interviews and traditional Beti (Fang) poetry, in addition to German and French archival sources,...