New Perspectives on the Nigeria-Biafra War

Chima J. Korieh is director of Africana studiesat Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

• Introduction: The Power of Silence: Reflections on the Politics of Memorializing the Biafra WarChima J. KoriehPart 1: War, History, and MemoryChapter 1: Inhibitions to Speaking Out: Assessing Frederick Forsyth’s Three Categories of Silent Witness in BiafraPaul R. Bartrop Chapter 2: The Catholic Church and the Post-War Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Nigeria, 1970-1975Nicholas Ibeawuchi OmenkaChapter 3: The Inseparable Ties with the Past: Indirect Colonial Rule in Nigeria and the Biafra WarAnwesha DasChapter 4: Biafran Enclaves and the Militia Activities in Mid-Western Nigeria, 1967-1970Odigwe A. NwaokochaChapter 5: Biafran Radical Groups and the Quest for Biafra Sovereignty in the Nigeria-Biafra WarBernard Steiner IfekweChapter 6: Shades of Gray: Nigeria-Biafra War Coverage, American Diplomatic Nightmare, and the Conscience of a Nation.Austine Duru Part 2: Wartime Victims, The Igbo, and the Biafran ExperienceChapter 7: Constructing the Impact of the Niger

Korieh a well-known historian of Biafra and colonial Nigeria, offers a collection of 18 chapters on the history and memory of the war over the Republic of Biafra's secession from Nigeria (1967–70). Sections on war events, including internal tensions, the experience of ordinary Biafrans in wartime (especially children), and the long legacy of the war mix history, memoir, and polemic, producing a book that will interest both historians and casual readers with a stake in Biafra's past and present. Social history is emphasized throughout, with occasional forays into diplomatic history, humanitarianism, and the operational history of the conflict. A section on artistic and literary representations of the war by Biafrans offers particular insight, bringing several little-known artists to the attention of the wider world. Representing many voices and methodological approaches, this collection enriches readers' understanding of this crucial episode in 20th-century African history. Highly recommended. General readers through faculty.