Revolutionary Years: West Africa Since 1800 (Growth of African Civilisation) Revised, Subsequent Edition

Excellent book which is ideal as an introduction to the history of West-Africa. Best of all is the extreme clarity and the interesting stories woven inside as Webster and Boahen like to give the interesting tidbits of information in addition to the bigger picture. The maps and photos are also really to the point and help clarify the story. The more academic of readers will think it a shame that the references aren't mentioned, but that would be more than made up by the easy to use index.