Masque of Africa

This is a new book. Condition: Brand New.

'Compelling, insightful, often sombrely beautiful' The Sunday Telegraph

Moving beyond travelogue, V.S. Naipaul's The Masque of Africa considers the effects of belief - in indigenous animisms, the foreign religions of Christianity and Islam, the cults of leaders and mythical history - upon the progress of African civilization. Beginning in Uganda, at the continent's centre, Naipaul's journey takes in Ghana and Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and Gabon, and ends, as the continent does, in South Africa.

Focusing upon the theme of belief, Naipaul examines the fragile but enduring quality of the old world of magic. To witness the ubiquity of such ancient ritual, to be given some idea of its power, was to be taken far back to the beginning of things. To reach that beginning was the purpose of this book.

Now part of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the very best of modern literature.

Book details and technical specifications

Format: Paperback / softback
ISBN13: 9781035061730
Published: October 2025

Number of pages: 336
Width: 132 mm
Height: 200 mm
Depth: 21 mm

Publisher: Pan Macmillan