My Nigeria

PETER CUNLIFFE-JONES has been Foreign Correspondent for over 20 years for The Economist, The Independent and the Paris-based Agence France Presse news agency where he is now a Senior Editor. Since 1990 he has reported from western Europe, the Balkans, West Africa and East Asia. He is today the agency's head of English-language multimedia news. From 1998- 2003 he was AFP Bureau Chief in Lagos, Nigeria.

• Three Arrivals A Place of Great Potential The Troubles of Nigeria Conquest Another Man's Home My Family Connection Civil War& Bloodshed Misrule& Plunder What you Left Behind Two Hours from Singapore The Cost of Oil Corruption& Trust Divided you Fall Stamp your Feet - Two Histories of Protest Reasons to be Cheerful - Dreams of a New Nigeria Point of Departure

'Longtime British foreign correspondent Peter Cunliffe-Jones paints a vivid portrait of Nigeria's hydra-headed travails in this passionate, intensely personal book...My Nigeria cannot be bettered.' - The Washington Times '...[My Nigeria] offers some challenging thinking about the nature of a country for which Cunliffe-Jones clearly feels great affection...Pleasingly he quotes Nigerians rather than foreign experts, and tackles religious tensions, oil wealth and woes, and the everyday problems of corruption...Cunliffe-Jones marshals his impressive knowledge of the country to seek out reasons for hope.' - TLS 'Peter Cunliffe-Jones, a veteran journalist, follows in the footsteps of his forefathers-a colonizer and an administrator-and serves up a must read for anybody looking to understand Africa's most dynamic country. In this empathetic, keenly-observed, multigenerational memoir, Cunliffe-Jones expertly lays out the challenges facing Nigeria as it approaches 50 years of independence and finds itself once again on the brink.' - Stephan Faris, author of Forecast 'Nigeria is a big subject, but Cunliffe-Jones cuts it down to size. Enriched by his own experience and his family's own role in the country's past, this vivid book is more than a history. It is like stumbling upon a time capsule.' - Robert Calderisi, author of The Trouble with Africa: Why Foreign Aid Isn't Working 'A very readable history of Nigeria, a personal memoire and a family history all in one book. Peter Cunliffe-Jones has produced a warm and enlightening introduction to this huge, dynamic and fascinating country and its damaged past. Intriguing and sometimes shocking it explains why Nigeria today is the frustrated giant of Africa.' - Richard Dowden, author of Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles 'This is an excellent, readable book both for those who think they know Nigeria and those who are just curious about the country.' - Father Matthew Kukah, Leading Nigerian commentator 'As Nigeria celebrates 50 years of independence this book aids the understanding of both the colonial legacy and the challenges facing the country. Written in a personal manner by a veteran journalist whose family have been deeply involved in Nigeria's history, this very readable account is a worthy addition to the corpus of post-colonial history books, and should be of interest to both historians and the general public.' - Dr Maggie Canvin, Sociolingo.com 'An amazing book, it captures the essence of Nigeria brilliantly. It is the best work I have read on Nigeria.' - Adunola Abiola, daughter of the late M.K.O. Abiola. 'I found the book more than interesting, I found it inspirational. The story of the author's historical connections with Nigeria made it all the more riveting' - former Olympic athlete Kriss Akabusi 'Many thought provoking scenes ... an important book ' - Nigerian Guardian 'Mr. Cunliffe -Jones has produced a sweeping yet intimate portrait of his and his distinguished family's sojourn in Africa's most populous and complicated nation - Nigeria. It is a work that deserves widespread critical attention. A triumph!' - Chinua Achebe, David and Marianna Fisher University Professor, Brown University, USA