Mau-Mau Warrior
By (Author) Professor Abiodun Alao
Illustrated by Christa Hook
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Osprey Publishing
10th August 2006
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Warfare and defence
African history
967.6203
Paperback
64
Width 184mm, Height 248mm, Spine 7mm
212g
The Mau-Mau uprising (1952-60) remains a controversial conflict, waged by warriors about whom many myths have been formed, but little truth has been written. Condemned by history as a brutal rag-tag force engaged in oath-taking, cannibalism and witchcraft, the military activities of the Mau-Mau have long been overlooked. Although their skill, organization and unique motivation forced the British government to undertake the longest airlift in military history, and to deploy extensive force at a cost of almost 60 million, before it could claim victory. This book reveals the real men and women behind the Mau-Mau; the truth behind the oaths that bound them together; and how they became a powerful force, paving the way for Kenya's independence.
Dr Abiodun Alao is with the School of Social Science and Public Policy, King's College London. He has written many books on African security. His latest book on natural resources and Conflict in Africa, titled The Tragedy of Endowment, is forthcoming. Christa Hook began her illustrating career in 1986. Her work has featured in the worlds of publishing and television, and she has established herself as one of Osprey's most popular illustrators. Her illustrations combine the historian's attention to detail with the artist's sense of drama and atmosphere, and they are sought after by collectors worldwide. She has had work selected for the Laing Land and Seascape Exhibition 2000 at the Mall, and the Not the Royal Academy Exhibition 2000 at the Llewellyn Alexander Gallery.