My First Coup D'etat: Memories from the Lost Decades of AfricaMy First Coup D'Etat chronicles the coming-of-age of John Dramani Mahama in Ghana during the dismal post-independence 'lost decades' of Africa. He was seven years old when rumours of a coup reached his boarding school in Accra. His father, a minister of state, was suddenly missing, then imprisoned for more than a year.My First Coup D'Etat offers a look at the country that has long been considered Africa's success story. This is a one-of-a-kind book: Mahama's is a rare literary voice from a political leader, and his stories work on many levels - as fables, as history, as cultural and political analysis, and, of course, as the memoir of a young man who, unbeknownst to him or anyone else, would grow up to be vice president of his nation. Though non-fiction, these are stories that rise above their specific settings and transport the reader - much like the fiction of Isaac Bashevis Singer and Nadine Gordimer - into a world all their own, one which straddles a time lost and explores the universal human emotions of love, fear, faith, despair, loss, longing, and hope despite all else. |
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My First Coup d'Etat: Memories from the Lost Decades of Africa John Dramani Mahama Limited preview - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
Accra Acheampong Achimota Africa Akan language Alfred Alice arrived asked attended auntie band became Bole boys brothers Bukari Busunu called colonial Commonwealth Hall couldn’t coup d’etat d’Ivoire Dad’s Damongo didn’t dormitory Dramani driver Eben Ezra face farm father felt flat flight flow flying friends Ghana Ghanaian Ghanasco Gonja Hall he’d head kids kilometres knew Kumasi lived long vacation looked Mahama Mallam maraca military mother nation never Nigeria night northern officers ofmy ofthe once People’s Peter Pinzgauer play political programme rice rifle Salifu Samuel siblings singing snack soldiers songs Soviet Union stand started stop stories Sulley Sumaila Tamale Tamasco tell they’d things tion Togo told took town turned UniGov University of Ghana village waiting walk wanted wasn’t watched we’d Wentum who’d Wofa Leonardo words Wura