“Very rarely is an attempt at a more balanced picture of African history made within the mainstream of Western historiography.

It has the potential to become a landmark in our understanding of the most misunderstood of continents.” David Olusoga, New Statesman, January 31 st 2019 “Remarkable… Ranging far beyond economics, Green’s thesis becomes, ultimately, an almost philosophical meditation on the nature of value across differing cultures and societies during a long and under-examined era of early globalisation…this is a stunning work of research and argumentation. “Fascinating… monumental volume…a rich and insightful work… W hat emerges is a radically different view of the region from the one that has been generally available.' – Spectator, January 24 th 2019 To see some examples, please scroll to the bottom of the page. The book contains many photos of historical sites in West and West-Central Africa taken by Toby Green during research for the book. Based on archival research in 9 countries, and fieldwork research in 8 West African countries, it offers a new perspective on West Africa's relationship to world history through the lens of money and inequality. Toby Green's book A Fistful of Shells: West Africa From the Rise of the Slave Trade to the Age of Revolution was published by Allen Lane and Chicago University Press in early 2019. 'A riveting new perspective on African history', Rana Mitter, BBC HIstory Magazine It has the potential to become a landmark in our understanding of the most misunderstood of continents.” David Olusoga, New Statesman ' this is a stunning work of research and argumentation. 'Momentous.a work of staggering scholarship' Ben Okri, Daily Telegraph Shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize, the Fage and Oliver Prize, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for History, the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize, the Pius Adesanmi Memorial Award, and the Wolfson History Prize.īook of the Year in History Today, Observer, Prospect, and The Wall Street Journal. Winner of the Historical Writers Association Non-Fiction Crown, the Jerry Bentley Prize in World History and the Nayef Al-Rohdan Prize for Global Cultural Understanding A site on British historian and writer Toby Greenįeatures and books on history and current affairs

A fistful of shells toby green