African Switchback

In 1957, two British novelists decided to travel around Western Africa in their Land Rover. Nicholas Mosley, the author of this book, was accompanied by Hugo Charteris. They shipped their vehicle to Dakar, and set out from there, ending in Lagos three months later.

It is a descriptive book - cataloguing everything the author saw and heard, in linear fashion. Amid some moments of clarity, there is also a lot noted that remains unexplained, often the author indicating he had no idea what it was or meant!

Moments of clarity included (P63)

There is a mystique about empires. They are creations of aristocracy, like great architecture. When a sufficient number of young men by reason of their time and circumstance have the energy, courage and self-confidence of madmen; and when over large areas of the earth through warfare, poverty or chaos, confidence is dead; then there are empires. They are won or held by bluff; force is only used to make gestures, such as a whip cracked at a tiger or the charade of executions. But when pride and self-righteousness die in the rulers - again by time and circumstance - then empires die too, and no force of bloodshed can save them.

The French were handing administrative posts over to Africans, but they themselves would be staying at the top. And their army presumably, would remain to preserve order. They were training Africans for responsibility, but not for independence. This was all right at the moment, when there were not sufficient trained men for anyone to wish the French to go.