-
My First Coup d’Etat: Memories from the Lost Decades of Africa
My First Coup D’Etat chronicles the coming-of-age of John Dramani Mahama (former President of Ghana) 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.
An important literary debut from the then Vice President of Ghana, a fable-like memoir that offers a shimmering microcosm of post-colonial Africa.
‘A much welcome work of immense relevance.’ ~ Chinua Achebe
₵150.00 -
K. A. Busia: A Symbol of Democracy – Exploration of His Life and Words
This book is an indispensable resource! It is an account of the life and works of Kofi Abrefa Busia, a world-renowned scholar and politician whose story is inextricably merged with that of Ghana.
“No one can doubt that the life and thoughts of Dr Busia will always feature prominently in the history of Africa, the Commonwealth and the wider world. We can be confident that, in the years that lie ahead, his importance will become increasingly evident. As thinker, teacher and statesman, he was an outstanding leader.” — St Antony’s College, Oxford University, UK
“The life of Kofi Abrefa Busia occupies a fascinating spot in the history of Ghana as a result of the intellectual and good governance legacy he left behind, having served as Ghana’s Prime Minister of the 2nd Republic. It is this legacy, and the vision that preceded it, which has motivated the publication of this book. The book gives us much to think about, and things to still consider in Ghana’s development.” — John Agyekum Kufuor, President of the Republic of Ghana (2001-2008)
₵150.00 -
They Call Me Archie: Amazing Journey of Destiny
ONE FOR THE GIRLS
There are some life stories you just cannot beat. Each time the names of such champions drop, one might as well perform a rite of acknowledgment…any. Their lives have graced hundreds of lives, and hundreds of lives continue to be redeemed through them. They have seen it all. Done it all. They love and they are loved. These individuals have given, and still have more in store. According to the Canon of the Classics, these persons, even the gods envy.
Rosina Aboagye Acheampong is one such mortal. From the precocity of her childhood, her dance with life has been one amazing ball of faith … and chance, nay, destiny. These captivating pages reel out the adventures of a pathfinder, a mould breaker and a pacesetter. Yes, her name might be synonymous with Wesley Girls, but be it at the national or community level, to list what she has achieved is to embark on the impossible.
Beautifully, however, Archie the Matriarch does not seem to see the power of her influence. She only wants to give thanks and praise.
Not only does this book make interesting reading, it also gives deep insights into the author and her experiences as one of Ghana’s influential and foremost educationists. It is, undoubtedly, a must-read book! – John Agyekum Kufuor, former President of Ghana
I am yet to hear of any group of students who passed through her hands…who do not remember her with utmost respect and affection. – Professor Ama Ata Aidoo
As the Headmistress, she re-defined the role. Indeed, the personality she brought to the position is irreplaceable and iconic. – Ambassador Evelyn Anita Stokes
₵150.00 -
Working with Rawlings
Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings burst on the Ghanaian political scene with a failed military mutiny on May 15th, 1979. On June 4th 1979, following a successful uprising staged by junior officers and other ranks of the Ghana Armed Forces, he emerged as the Chairman of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) which ruled Ghana for three months and handed over to a civilian constitutional government on 24th September 1979. On 31st December 1981, he overthrew the constitutional government and formed the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) as the Government of Ghana. He was elected a constitutional President in 1992 and assumed office as such on 7th January 1993. He served two terms as President of the Republic of Ghana, finally leaving office on 6th January 2001.
Jerry John Rawlings is an enigma. It was a privilege working with him and being close to him. He and I went through many exciting experiences together. I have documented some of those experiences in this book. But there are many other experiences which I have not documented either because they belong to the realm of confidentiality or of privacy. What I have documented, however, is enough to give present and future leaders some ideas about governance at the highest levels; the dos and don’ts of governance; the skills required for governance and the importance of human relations as a leadership trait.
This is not a book about Jerry John Rawlings. It is not a book about Kwamena Ahwoi. It is not a book about the PNDC. It is not a book about the NDC. It is a book about Kwamena Ahwoi working with Jerry John Rawlings; our working relationship; our ups and downs and our joint commitment to building a better Ghana than the one we found it. Somewhere along the line, we drifted apart. This book is about that as well. It is my hope that Ghana’s leaders of today and our leaders of the future will learn some lessons from my account of Working with Rawlings, leaving out the negatives and accentuating the positives.
₵150.00Working with Rawlings
₵150.00 -
Kwame Nkrumah: Africa’s Man of the Millennium
This book seeks to review various presentations made about the life of the man who led this country in her march towards independence and caught the imagination of the entire continent in the 1960s as he advocated and pushed the frontiers towards continental unity.
The man at the centre of it all – Kwame Nkrumah – is captured in all his facets; his humble beginnings, studies abroad, his return home to work with the UGCC, his political agitations, tenure of office as Leader of Government Business, Prime Minister and President, his removal from office and the role played by internal and external forces, his days in exile, his death and other aspects of his life. These are all presented with a view to enable the reader learn some history as well as good lessons of life.
Interestingly, though largely seen as the first universal African of the 19th Century, Kwame Nkrumah was actually a man of two halves; much loved and much hated all at the same time. How a single personality could be viewed in that manner is better appreciated by reading the book.
₵150.00 -
Abrewa Nana: A Trajectory of Life – An Autobiography (Hardcover)
Professor Addo-Fening’s life story is an inspiration to read. From humble beginnings, he rose to the peak of academic life. In all his life experiences, he shows his gratitude and humility. This book is a delight to read and I recommend it to all. – Professor Alison M. Howell, Formerly of Akrofi-Christaller Institute, Akropong-Akuapem, Ghana
When the Historian sets out to write his own life story, what we get is a truly fascinating account. Here in Professor Robert Addo-Fening’s autobiography, we have a scintillating conversation with a master craftsman. Well done! – Dr. Maureen O. Iheanacho, Independent Scholar and Researcher, Accra, Ghana
₵150.00 -
Inside Out: Autobiographical Memoirs
The author recounts a journey that starts in a small town in Ghana, through an academic and professional career in finance in Canada and the United States, culminating at the Ministry of Finance in Ghana where he served as Technical Advisor to three different Ministers of Finance from different political parties.
The memoirs depict the complexities of decision-making that combine technical know-how with political reality using several instances of policymaking and financial transactions that he led at the Ministry. For the technical reader, the author recounts a 25-year history of his involvement in many key initiatives of financial market development in Ghana.
The sweetener in Inside Out is an interesting case study of how to navigate political transitions and maintain relevance as a senior advisor to Ministers in a “winner-takes-all” political environment.
₵150.00 -
Beyond Fear and Power: Osahene Boakye Djan – Pioneer Journey from the Village to the City and Back
On 2nd June, 1979, the military high command of the Ghana Armed Forces picked up intelligence of an impending coup against their regime from the 5 Battalion, the only fighting unit in Accra at the time.
General Odartey Wellington, the then Army Commander, informed his lower commanders to take steps to order Captain Boakye Djan, the D Company Commander of the 5 Battalion of Infantry to stop it.
On 4th June, 1979, Captain Boakye Djan emerged to become the substantive head of government and official spokesperson of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council of Ghana.
This is the story of one of Africa’s great military masterminds and why he has survived it all.
₵150.00 -
Augustine Kwasiga Younge: The Great Musician, Composer, Educator, Scouter and Counselor — The Pioneer in Revitalization and Africanization of the Catholic Liturgy and Mass in Ghana (Pre-Order)
**Available from 20 June 2022
When the Catholic Church realized the itching urge to inject more African Culture in her Christian worship to revitalize the Liturgy and Mass in the 1960s, Mr. A.K. Younge, alias “Master Younge,” in a solo effort revolutionized the Roman Catholic Church musical scene by initially replacing the “Old Latin Hymns” with traditional tunes accompanied by African musical instruments. As his determination persisted, he found himself in the greatest imbroglio as some church elders and musicians cast insinuations for what they believed to be anti-Christ (Catholic). With much encouragement from his dear wife Catherine Afiwor Younge and full support by the Papal See in Rome, Master Younge delved deeper. He came out with many compositions and innovations that provided the foundation that seemed to meet the aspirations and expectations of the awakened African Catholicism in Ghana and the Keta Diocese.
If traditional African drums, bells, and rattles are heard in Catholic churches today in Ghana, we must, with all certainty and reverence, remember the efforts of Master Younge. He made it happen. His Era’s selected contemporaries also covered include: Adalbert Kodjo Mensah Tibu, Philip Gbeho, Emmanuel Gakpo Gadzekpo, Togbe Afiatsoa II: Mr. George Kwame Akordor, and Cornelius Kofi Doe-Williams (alias CK).
₵150.00₵200.00 -
Contemporary Issues in Foreign Policy, Diplomacy and International Affairs
This is a collection of essays derived from a series of symposia and online webinars hosted by the Council of Foreign Relations- Ghana.
From the inaugural symposium chaired by Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, with addresses by The President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the CFR-Ghana elicits interesting views and opinions from people best placed to be aware of the big picture of contemporary issues in international affairs, particularly from the perspective of how they impact our African Continent.
Totally informative and engaging, sometimes entertaining and mentally provocative, which challenges us all to seriously reflect upon contemporary issues in foreign policy, diplomacy and international affairs.
“The setting up of CFR-Ghana is long overdue and I’m glad that finally it has been done. The Executives and Founding Members are to be commended for this achievement and I wish them the very best of luck in the years to come. “
– H.E President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (President of the Republic of Ghana)
₵150.00 – ₵200.00 -
A Rose Among Thorns
Born on 17th September 1952 in Sakyikrom near Nsawam in Ghana’s Eastern Region, Dr. (Mrs.) Felicia Boateng Danquah (nee Akotua) is the third of five children born to her parents, Mr. Jonas Akotua and Mrs. Clara Akotua.
Due to her father’s regular transfers arising out of his employment with the Ghana Health Service, she was educated in different parts of the country, including Walewale and Bolgatanga, before entering the Komenda Teacher Training College (as it was then), where she trained as a teacher. She worked for some time with the Ghana Education Service as a teacher before going into business full-time.
A devoted Christian and Vice President of Jofel Catering Services in Kumasi, Dr. (Mrs) Danquah is married to Lt. Gen. J B Danquah, Ghana’s Chief of Defence Staff from 2005 to 2009 and President of Jofel. The couple have six children.
The year 2022 serves as a confluence of an important trilogy in Dr (Mrs.) Danquah’s life − her 70th birthday anniversary, the 50th anniversary of her marriage and the 40th anniversary of Jofel, one of the most iconic institutional names in Kumasi and an undoubted leader in the catering and hospitality business in the city and beyond.
In this fascinating, yet simple, easy-to-read publication to mark these important landmarks in her life, the author recalls her early childhood experiences and family, particularly her mother Clara, who she adores, and shares the story of Jofel and its evolution to what it is today.
She also shares her perspectives on the values she treasures that she believes have helped her enormously in her Christian faith, her marriage and family, and in building an award-winning business with the support of her family, among others.
A Rose Among Thorns speaks to the challenges of life that most of us can identify with and seek inspiration from in the knowledge that our lives can flourish like the rose even among the thorns of life with God as our helper and beacon.
₵150.00A Rose Among Thorns
₵150.00 -
The Quest for Nuclear Power in Ghana
The authors have detailed a comprehensive history of GAEC, its mission and its impact so far on the peaceful applications of nuclear techniques in Ghana. The book has also attempted to explain reactor engineering in layman’s language, such that the average reader could comprehend how a nuclear reactor works – the structure and functions of the various buildings comprising a reactor, the controls, the fuel assemblies, and how the reactor goes critical for power to be produced and harnessed in the form of steam that is used to turn turbines to produce electricity.
The book also discusses issues of nuclear reactor safety, management, and the eventual safe return of spent nuclear fuel and waste generated to the supplier country. Most importantly, the authors have described a new reactor concept – the Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). SMRs have greater simplicity of design, economy of series production largely in factories, short construction times, and reduced siting costs. SMRs are proliferation resistant, affordable, mobile, may be built independently or as modules in a larger complex, with capacity added incrementally as more financing is secured. Furthermore, they can be designed to be placed below ground level, giving high resistance to terrorist threats.
The authors are thus recommending these modern nuclear power plants for consideration by Ghana and other African countries. Hence, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s vision of utilising nuclear power in our energy mix to consolidate our industrial take-off will finally be realised.
₵150.00 -
A Shred of Fear: A Memoir (Hardcover)
Fifty years after the Biafran War ended in 1970, and as memories of the war fade and cultural, religious and tribal divisions rear their heads, Uche Nwokedi’s childhood memories of that time are presented in this memoir. Aged seven when the war began, he and his family would spend the next three years as refugees in their own country. A Shred of Fear brings dramatic events vividly to life. Moments of fear, sadness, tragedy, and family solidarity are told with pathos and humour. More than a war story, this compelling narrative shines a fearless light on a dark period.
“Powerful and endearing. Uche Nwokedi’s A Shred of Fear is an open invitation to consider his boyhood memories of the Biafran War, told from his perspective as a man who also bore witness to its antecedents and aftermath. This is an inspiring book that is sure to mend bridges.” – Sefi Atta, Author, Everything Good Will Come
“As one who participated fully in the Biafra War, A Shred of Fear is a powerful and vivid factual recollection of events that defined the war for the author. Written with such brilliant simplicity, one is taken on a journey of the changes in life in a time of war by the author. A must read. Highly recommended!” – Chief Arthur Mbanefo FCA, MFR, CON, Commissioner/Roving Ambassador in Biafra (1967-1970); Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1999-2003)
“A Shred of Fear is a beautifully evocative work that reveals the inimitable but understated role of the many women who confronted the war-within a war marked by hunger, agony and death. Rich in style and language, and full of humour, Uche Nwokedi’s writing is an emotionally wrenching, cross-over read.” – Yinka Olatunbosun, Journalist
₵150.00 -
Our Ancestories Bookset: Idia of the Benin Kingdom, Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba Plus Coloring & Activity Books (4 books)
Age Range: 4 – 12 years
- Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA) – 2021 Winner – Best Books for Young Children
- Wishing Shelf Book Award – 2020 Finalist
- Kidsshelf Book Cover Award -2020 Winner
- Eric Hoffer Award – Honourable Mention (Children’s Category) First Horizon Finalist Grand Prize Short List
The complete set of the Our Ancestories books. Our picture books as well as accompanying workbooks on Queen Idia and Njinga. These are stories of hope and courage that show every young girl is capable of greatness.
There is a deep divide between the truth of African history and the common understanding of it. Our Ancestories Bookset helps to bridge this gap through various means including stories about two African female leaders and accompanying activity and colouring books.
This set includes:
Idia of the Benin Kingdom (Our Ancestories)
Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba (Our Ancestories)
Idia of the Benin Kingdom: Coloring and Activity Book (Our Ancestories)
Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba: Coloring and Activity Book (Our Ancestories)
Our Ancestories’ vision is to nudge the world towards a point where:
- There is an avid learning culture for African history.
- People of African descent are at least as exposed to African history as we are to Western history.
- Africans look more to our history as we pave a way for the future.
- Legends that make up African history are mainstream and are introduced to children across the globe.
₵155.00
