Best book on the Gambia?

I love having visitors. And I’m excited that a lovely British medical student I know, from previous ministry in the UK, is coming here to the Gambia for his 6-week medical elective. He’ll work at the nearby MRC (Medical Research Centre), which specialises in research into and treatment of malaria. (Fact: It's the second biggest employer in the country after G4S.)

This student thoughtfully asked me recently what my top book to read on the Gambia would be. Good question! I couldn’t answer it - instead I thought of four. If you're interested to know what I suggested, read on.

Although I do like reading (quite a lot), I’m certainly not an expert on the Gambia, or literature relating to the Gambia. But, every few books, I do try to read a book that will be fairly directly useful or applicable to me for life and ministry here.

(I might explain in another post how I schedule my reading…)

So back to the student’s question: “What would be your top book to read on the Gambia?"

I gave him 4 suggestions (and I’ve just thought of a 5th!) -

1. African Friends and Money Matters, David Maranz (SIL International, 2nd ed. 2015)

The (Christian) author worked in neighbouring Senegal so is very familiar with the culture(s) of this part of West Africa. The book is a fascinating series of observations about "micro-economics", i.e. how people use money in everyday life, and particularly how that relates to the way Africans relate to each other. It's very perceptive, gives a really good insight into the way Africans think, and has often proved to be accurate in my experience here. It’s perhaps surprising how significantly people's attitude towards money (or, more importantly here, a culture’s attitude towards money) effects the way people relate to one another.

2. We Have Toiled All Night, Martha Frederiks (Boekencentrum, 2003)

This is an unusual and brilliant resource. The Dutch author spent a while here in the Gambia as a missionary through the Methodist Church. She took it upon herself (I think it was a PhD project) to research and write up a history of Christianity in the Gambia - that's what the book is. It's very comprehensive and very enlightening. There’s so much in there but one lasting memory is the extremely humbling recollection of early missionaries to the Gambia, whose life expectancy here was about 2 years (primarily because of danger and the tropical diseases with no vaccinations or healthcare). It wasn’t for nothing that West Africa became known as “White man’s grave”; they really did come with their belongings packed in coffins. What really blew me away? They kept coming. They knew the deal - and they kept coming. They kept dying. Others kept coming. The only downside about the book is that it's very hard to get hold of, as only a few copies were printed! I was fortunate to find one online through an obscure second-hand seller. 

3. Dead Aid, Dambisa Moyo (Penguin, 2010)

A short and fascinating / heartbreaking wake-up call. With her African (she’s Zambian) and economic (she works for the World Bank) experience, Moyo unleashes a demolishing critique of the economics of the vast aid project to Africa of the last 60 years. She convincingly shows why it's not only not helped, but actually made things far worse. It’s full of devastating statistics. But it’s not just a cry of pity. She suggests an economically robust set of better alternatives. (It made me wish I’d studied economics at school…) 

4. The State of Africa, Martin Meredith (Simon & Schuster, 2013)

A longer classic by an experienced writer and journalist. It makes for often tragic reading about the often sorry story of independence in African nations in the last 60 years. It’s important but often depressing reading (I only made it half way through!), yet he avoids simplistic criticisms. I should really get back to it some day.

5. Touching the Soul of Islam, Bill Musk (Monarch, 2005)

Dr. Musk is a very thoughtful and engaging writer with significant experience of Christian work in a North African context. This is an excellent introduction to the thought-world of Islam. Also highly recommended is his The Unseen Face of Islam, which explores the world of ‘Folk Islam’, i.e. every-day, real-life practices of Muslims, sometimes interestingly different from, yet coexistent with, official Islamic teaching.


So, thank God for good books - for writers, publishers, distributors, and people who taught us how to read.  Whilst #2 above may be particularly specific to here, I’d certainly recommend reading any of the others, for valuable insight into the worlds of Africa and Islam, which effect our world so significantly.