The History of Ashanti Kings and the Whole Country Itself is a key text for understanding the history of the great West African kingdom of Asante. It is perhaps the earliest example of history writing in English by an African ruler and is of compelling interest to all concerned with the production of indigenous historical knowledge in Africa. Review from previous edition 'This book makes a milestone in more than one sense - as a major new source for precolonial Asante history, as a fascinating example of early historical writing by Africans, as a virtuoso demonstration of how to impose some intelligibility upon the perplexing detail of what was once oral tradition, and as a challenge to historians, who must decide how to respond to this kind of material.'