A Tapestry of African Histories: with longer times and wider geopolitics edited by Nicholas K. Githuku Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2021. Pp. 408. $125 (hbk).

Abstract

A Tapestry of African Histories enriches our understanding of the transnational history of Africa, covering biographical studies, social and economic history, pre-colonial history, colonial and postcolonial development, and nationalist and intel-lectual history with a longue durée . The collection has been thoroughly researched by experienced contributors whose careers were in fl uenced by Robert Maxon ’ s scholarship – the historian-Africanist to whom this book is dedicated for his signi fi cant role in the development of history as an academic fi eld of study in Kenya and East Africa more broadly. Beyond Maxon, it is an addition to the revisionist scholarship on Africa reclaiming local voices in modern state formation and development.Thebookrecognizes Maxon ’ s commitment to the career of his Kenyan colleagues and their scholarship. Three of the chapters in the book are written by Maxon himself. The fi rst chapter is written by another doyen of Kenyan history, John M. Lonsdale, who argued for historical plurality in the writing of Kenyan history to help readers think for themselves. Chapter  chronicles Maxon ’ s career history and how he began to interface with Kenya and its people. Chapter  showcases Maxon ’ s biographical approach to Kenya ’ s national history. Here, he argues for the study of silent voices in Kenyan history. In particular, he places focuses on Kenyan nationalist, Oginga Odinga, who he claims has not been accorded his proper place in Kenyan historiography for his heroism and contribution to decolonisation, unlike his nationalist counterpart, Jomo Kenyatta. ,