A State of Intrigue: The Epic of Banama Segu (Fontes Historiae Africanae Series Varia)

This is the first English translation of a traditional history of the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Bamana kingdom of Segu, which flourished in an area that was once part of the Mali Empire and which far outlasted its neighbors in resistance to Islam. The story, which is one of Africa's great epic traditions, offers a view of daily life in Bamana Segu. Tayiru Banbera adds to this, providing invaluable information on such diverse topics as military strategy, culinary practices, taxation, law enforcement, and seduction.