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In the Eye of the Storm: Autobiography of Justice Emile Francis Short (Hardcover)
This book recounts my upbringing, narrating the role my father played in inculcating in me the values of honesty, integrity and hard work. The book describes my life from secondary school through University and the twist and turns of my career. The main object in writing the book is to inspire public officials to discharge their functions “without fear or favour, ill will or affection.” It also seeks to encourage the youth to pursue hard work and do the right thing at all times. It hopes to discourage the youth from engaging in unethical practices like 419, sakawa, satanic or occultic practices to get rich quickly. Honesty does pay in the long run. The idea of sitting down to write about myself especially at age 70 was not an attractive proposition. However, I received encouragement from a number of persons who impressed upon me the need to describe how I navigated the journey as Ghana’s first Commissioner for the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice and the challenges I encountered. My faith in Christ and how it has shaped my career are well articulated in the book.
Justice Emile Francis ShortJustice Emile Short’s memoir contains a powerful account of the life of a man whose local and international standing has generally beclouded a rich and fulfilling life history immersed in family, friends, community, and faith. Adopting a fluent narrative tinged with humor and transitional pauses and asides, this memoir presents a profound excursion into his life marked by detailed narrative of his experiences growing up in Ghana and abroad, education, love life, and professional development, and these will afford any reader a rare insight into the life of one of Africa’s, and certainly Ghana’s greatest sons. While many will find the chronology of his life’s story easy to identify with, his meticulous narration is truly a testament to the memoire’s overall richness and the depth of the author’s encounters and world views. Few memoirs open a window into an author’s life like this piece and the brazen frankness of his accounts illuminates the author and his lived experiences in the many episodes and phases of his years. The reader will find the book a lively and highly engaging read–one which piqued my own interest till the very end. I have hardly read any autobiography this revealing!
Prof. E. Kofi Abotsi
Dean, UPSA Law SchoolA very well told life story. Lovely in its brevity, but that seems to come at the expense of some of the important episodes narrated in the book, particularly the “Damascan” transformation from being a successful conventional elite professional Cape Coast lawyer and hustling in the UK (on the one hand); to becoming a “born again”/charismatic Christian, occupying high level state positions/public office, “speaking truth” to powerful politicians/slaying political tigers, and liberating the enslaved.
Prof. Gyimah Boadi₵200.00 -
The Valley of Memories (Hardcover)
October 10th 1963, a Dutch teenage girl is sent away to Ghana by her resentful mother to marry a man she has met only once and who is more than twice her age. Arriving at the airport in Accra, a whole new world unfolds for this young girl. At first, she is shocked and disappointed by the things she sees in this new country she is to call her home. To her Ghana is hot, humid and dirty but then she meets the warm and welcoming people of Ghana and starts to open up to the country, culture and its people.
Her new husbands job takes her to some of the most remote areas in Ghana from Accra to the Northern, Upper East and Volta Regions where she repeatedly has to build a home with the meagre resources her husband and herself have available. Whilst building her homes and family, she encounters the most fascinating, emotional, funny, unbelievable and sometimes scary experiences.
This is a story about a young girl coming of age and finding love and happiness under the most unusual circumstances. The story will take the reader on a very vivid and colourful tour of life in post-colonial Ghana and gives the reader a history lesson about one of the most interesting periods Ghana has gone through after gaining independence from Britain and trying to build a strong and independent nation.
₵200.00 -
Critical and Biographical Essays of Nana Dr. S.K.B. Asante: From an African Village to the Global Village and Back (Hardcover)
Few Ghanaians of any generation have had a career as long, as varied, and as consequential as Nana S.K.B. Asante’s: government attorney; law teacher; international public servant; constitution framer; adviser to sovereign parties; commercial arbitrator; public intellectual; traditional monarch. Just as impressive is the fact that, in each of these substantial roles, Nana has left a trail of writings. My own first encounter with Nana’s scholarship happened during my time at Yale Law School, his alma mater. As an editor on the law review, I was curious to know whether any Ghanaian had been published by the prestigious journal. My search led me to a fascinating article on Ghanaian property and customary law written by Samuel K.B. Asante in the 1965 volume of the journal. At the time of my discovery, his was the only article by a Ghanaian published in the 100-year history of the journal. I would later discover many more of his academic writings, some of which I assigned to my class in my years as a law teacher.
This book collects in one volume some of Nana’s mostly “non-academic” writings. The essays tell, in characteristically fine prose rich in biography and history, the story of an intellectual-technocrat keen to use his wealth of knowledge to address contemporary problems of development and to put that expertise in the service of his country–and of the developing world at large. The publication of this selection of Nana S.K.B. Asante’s writings, in the 90th year of his life, is a monumental accomplishment and a befitting capstone of a long and distinguished career.
PROF. H. KWASI PREMPEH
Executive Director of Ghana Center for Democratic DevelopmentThe incredibly rich collection of writings by the eminent international lawyer, scholar, respected global development expert and prominent traditional ruler, Nana S.K.B Asante, takes the reader on a remarkable journey of nearly seven decades of illumination. His vivid experiences, enormous achievements and witty recollections reveal the remarkable growth of a curious mind and a disciplined intellectual dedicated ultimately to the service of humanity from his native village to the global village. In characteristic modesty, Nana claims not to be a historian, but this book is a historical gold mine filled with nuggets of analysis on the evolution of education, law, science, social policy, public service, constitutional development, nation building and chieftaincy in Ghana, enriched with valuable insights into the solid contributions of illustrious men and women. His penetrating and critical analyses of international development cooperation in the fields of investments, energy, water and natural resources in Asia and Africa must be lessons for all developing countries. This rich resource book is highly recommended.
DR. AGNES AKOSUA AIDOO
Former Social Policy Adviser, UN Economic Commission for AfricaThis masterpiece by Nana SKB Asante which narrates his life journey from his hometown at Asokore to Achimota, academia, diplomacy and finally back home is unique, inspiring and educative. The Book covers a broad spectrum of academic disciplines including constitutional law, commercial law, criminal law, international law, chieftaincy, leadership and governance, sociology, history and religions. It provides a vivid account of the constitutional history of Ghana from the author’s personal knowledge. The author who had the singular honour to chair the Committee of Experts which gave birth to Ghana’s 1992 Constitution also held the positions of Solicitor-General and Deputy Attorney-General under different democratic and military governments. Nana SKB Asante has used simple diction to convey his wealth of knowledge, experience and wisdom, acquired from both local and international levels in different capacities to inculcate in his audience the spirit of patriotism. The book is a must read!
JUSTICE DENNIS DOMINIC ADJEI, FGA
Justice of The Court of Appeal₵500.00 -
Baba Chibsah: Inspirational Story of an Illustrious Migrant
Baba Chibsah: Inspirational Story of an Illustrious Migrant is one of those books that take the reader on a journey of illumination. At the core of the story is the life of Baba Chibsah, who was both a visionary and practical man who was driven by his own idealism and belief in God and community to achieve goals he could not have comprehended when he set out from his home in the Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), to work in the Gold Coast (Ghana) in 1922. His immediate aim was to earn enough money to buy a bicycle. Taking every opportunity that came his way, the acclaimed founder of Tafo Zongo never went back but created a community and values worth celebrating.
His adventures read like a story out of a thriller movie. However, the story breaks free of its boundaries and becomes the history of a whole generation. This book teaches more about life in pre-independence times, not only in Ghana but in our West African sub-region than most textbooks. Here the story of migration, impact of European colonial policy, social interaction, Islamic movements and trends, and indeed the development of the Tafo-Suame enclave in Kumasi are all laid out here in cinematic detail.
Alhaji Seidu Kibsa Sawadogo aka Alhaji Seidu Chibsah has not only honoured his father and his generation but also produced a history masterpiece.
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The Makings of A Diplomatist: The Memoirs of Alexander Quaison-Sackey (Hardcover)
The book is a thrilling – albeit incomplete – life story, elegantly written. Starting from the author’s elementary school days at his birthplace, Winneba, where he obtained a distinction certificate at the Standard 7 school leaving Examinations, the Book takes the reader through the author’s sojourn at Mfantsipim Secondary School where he became Senior Prefect in his final year through Achimota College, where he became President of the Students’ Christian Movement (SCM), through Exeter College Oxford University where he served as President of the West African Students’ Union (WASU) through his years as a Labour officer in Ghana, his training as a pioneer career diplomat followed by a two-year stint as Head of Chancery in the Ghana High Commission in London up to his appointment as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations where he created history by becoming the First Black African to assume the Presidency of the UN General Assembly. A discerning factor in this historical account is obviously the author’s natural leadership endowment which was manifested again later in his accession to the lay Presidency of the Methodist Church of Ghana (not recorded in the Book).
The greater part of the Book gives an exciting and insightful bird’s eye view of the author’s exertions at the UN during his tenure as Ambassador and Permanent Representative on such then burning issues as decolonisation, the Congo Crisis, Apartheid in South Africa, Cuban Missile Crisis, Arab-Israeli Conflict and the UN Financial Crisis of 1964 which nearly paralysed the Organisation. These are all issues of historical interest, particularly for research students in international affairs.
The book ends with the author’s post-UN appointment as Foreign Minister of Ghana, his later incarceration, and subsequent release which enabled him to proceed to London to complete his law studies. Altogether a very interesting and instructive personal history that makes compelling and absorbing reading.
₵250.00 -
West to East: My East African Sojourns
West to East is about the author’s experiences in two East African countries, Kenya and Uganda.
After a successful interview in December 2016, the author was offered the appointment of CEO, African Peace Support Trainers’ Association in Kenya. Surprisingly, he developed cold feet. He had to be coaxed, cajoled and “ordered” to take the job in 2017.
The author’s premonition turned right when he arrived in Kenya to find an organization torn-apart by internal/external politics, personality conflicts and without money. The three-year offer ended in less than a year.
For a continent struggling for unity, this experience was unfortunate.
Earlier, between 2008 and 2009, the author had served in Uganda as Senior Military Adviser to former President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique. He was UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative for the Lord’s Resistance Army-Affected Areas of Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. A summary of the author’s experience in Uganda is provided.
Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng describes the book as “a good textbook or supplementary-reader for people in all disciplines, but will be indispensable for professional and lay-people seeking information about Peacekeeping and International Multilateral responses to crisis.”
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The Children of House No. D13 South Suntresu Kumasi: An Ahwoi & Adu-Gyamfi Siblings’ Collective Biography
*Available from 15 June 2022
To describe The Children of House No. D13, South Suntresu, Kumasi, as an intriguing project is an understatement. A collective biography of eight siblings was always going to be a daunting challenge, even if each person told their own story and got it together in one volume. To do it in a coordinated combination of first and third person “voices” would appear to be a bit implausible. To actually achieve the purpose and turn it from a project into an enthralling reading experience deserves all the plaudits this book is likely to gather.
This book is a collection of life stories of the eight children of Madam Maye Charlotte Hudson, also known as Esi Tutuwa but known to some people as Esi Nkwagye and to the people of South Suntresu, Kumasi as Mrs. Ahwoi. The ‘Ahwois” principally is the collective name of three brothers – Ato, Kwesi and Kwamena – who have played prominent roles in Ghana’s recent history, but the siblings also include five girls, Ama, Adoma, Efua, Naana and Sister Aggie, who also played their part in this thrilling story in their own unique ways.
For such a collective recall of personal histories to work, a principal requirement is a willingness of all the parties involved to treat the project seriously; of equal importance is the need to treat everyone’s personal history as important, which is what this book has succeeded in doing. It would be right to describe it as an exercise in literary democracy!
It is not every book project that produces a good book, but this book has done so because at the heart of the project is a good story. And at the heart of that good story is human progress against the odds capsuled in the life of these eight individuals.
These are the dramatis personae in order of appearance – from the womb – Ato Ahwoi, Kwesi Ahwoi, Mrs. Ama Twum, Kwamena Ahwoi, Mrs. Ama Adoma Bartels-Kodwo, Mrs. Efua Bram-Larbi, Theodora Naana Adu Gyamfi and Mrs. Agnes Appiagyei-Dankah. Theodora Naana Adu-Gyamfi passed away at the age of 28 and so her role ends early except in passing references. However, it is worth recalling that before she died, and in an act that exemplifies the major theme of this book, Naana secretely transferred all the money in her own bank account into that of her six year old niece, Abena Tutuwa Ahwoi, the daughter of her brother, Kwamena.
The structure of the narrative, which makes it possible to flow, is simply to follow the fortunes of these siblings sequentially in turn through the main phases of their development. The person whose presence permeates the story is the matriarch – Mrs. Ahwoi, nee Maye Charlotte Hudson.
The book achieves the purpose of showing the “remarkable togetherness and the mutual support system that enabled the children of House No. D13, South Suntresu, Kumasi, to overcome the many hurdles along their individual paths in life as being due to their mother, Madam Maye Charlotte Hudson (Mrs. Ahwoi). Indeed, the matriarch herself is effectively the ninth subject of the biography of the eight children” as Honourable Kwame Preprah states in the Foreword.
Nana Kwasi Gyan Apenteng
Consultant in Communication, Media and Culture
Former Chairman, National Media Commission (NMC)
Former President, Ghana Association of Writers (GAW)
₵250.00 -
Public Administration (AsanteBrako Political Series)
Every person is impacted by public administration issues, yet many people do not fully understand the processes involved in getting the problems that confront them addressed by the government. It is an undisputable fact that our very survival as humans, in terms of protection against harm and provision of our welfare needs, hinges heavily on the state. To be able to discharge these functions effectively demands an effective and efficient public administration.
What is public administration and what makes it relevant? This introductory Public Administration textbook is designed with the intention to provide students and practitioners with concrete tools, not only to understand public administration issues in general, but also to enable them to analyse specific theoretical and practical questions. The book offers an extensive overview of the current thinking on critical issues in the discipline, with an emphasis on accessibility and synthesis, rather than novelty or abstraction.
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The Black Star: The Autobiography of C.K. Gyamfi (Hardcover)
Over 60 years ago, Ghana’s national football team was rechristened Black Stars: a homage to the star in the middle of the Ghana national flag, a symbolic projection of black excellence.
Charles Kumi Gyamfi, the team’s founding captain, would later coach it to three Africa Cup titles. In his autobiography, written in collaboration with Fiifi Anaman, Gyamfi chronicles his seminal career. If this book reads like a history of Ghana football, then it probably is: C.K. Gyamfi and Ghana football are consubstantial, as rarely has a country’s football story been dominated by one man.
This is the story of the archetypal Black Star, whose pioneering achievements and expansive influence – on the pitch and from the dugout – changed a nation and impacted a continent.
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The Legislative System of Ghana
This book focuses on the legislative system of Ghana. It contains sixteen chapters, each focusing on a unique aspect of the legislative system of Ghana. It outlines the rules, the practice, and procedure that govern the conduct of business and Members in the Parliament of Ghana and its committees, and the various actors involved in the organisation of the legislative business. It breaks into minute forms, the procedural norms, and attitudes that influence members’ behaviour and the various parliamentary outcomes.
“This study is well researched and presented in a very lucid form…. Indeed, it is a very useful source for students, parliamentarians, and academics on the parliamentary history, procedure, and practice of Ghana’s Parliament.” – Hon Dr. Benjamin Kunbour, Former Majority Leader, Former Minister of Defence and Senior Lecturer, University of Ghana School of Law
₵300.00The Legislative System of Ghana
₵300.00 -
History of the Navy: A Case for a Credible Naval Force as an Instrument for National Development (Hardcover)
The History of the Navy: A Case for a Credible Naval force as an instrument for National development
₵200.00 -
Memoirs from the Hilltop: Stories and Lessons from the School of Life (Hardcover)
We would all be poorer if we failed to spend time reading and re-reading Memoirs from The Hilltop. They are so rich in gems for daily living and inspiration. – Justice (Mrs.) Georgina Theodora Wood (Rtd.) SOG, LLD (honoris causa) Retired Chief Justice and Member, Council of State, Ghana
This is an arresting book. It captures the unsuspecting reader and transports them, as an obliging captive, into the fascinating world of the author’s life’s rich experiences. – Chris Oppong FRCS, Consultant Surgeon, University Hospital, Plymouth, England, Medical Director, Rwanda Legacy of Hope (RLOH)
My conclusion after reading Memoirs from the Hilltop is that like Samson in the Bible, Kofi Adu Labi will kill a lion and go home without telling even father or mother about it until you have read his book. – R. G. Adu-Mante, Legal & HR Management Consultant
₵200.00 -
More than Treasures of Gold
The book is practical and written in an easy to read style. Professor Drafor-Amenyah is writing what she lives, talking the walk. More Than Treasures of Gold invites the reader to action. – Eugene Yakohene, Pioneers-Africa Mobilisation Base Director
₵40.00More than Treasures of Gold
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Your Life in the Supernatural: Engaging and Navigating the Unseen Realm
Apart from my strong faith in the triune God and the total reliance on the sufficiency of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, I have always kept clear of the supernatural realm, because it has always been an enigma to me — until I read this book. It is a must-read for all, irrespective of age, academic standing, and religious persuasion. —Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Adow Obeng, President, Presbyterian University College, Ghana
₵55.00 -
General Acheampong: The Life and Times of Ghana’s Head of State (Hardcover)
A magnificent book…brilliant in shedding light on some of the most important but little known dark passages in our national history…worth reading by anybody who truly seeks knowledge about our recent past.
₵200.00