'Richard Roberts paints a vivid and revealing portrait of an African leader who was called at various times an imperial intermediary or a collaborator of the colonizing regime. He brings out brilliantly the uncertainties and violence of the early years of colonial rule in West Africa.' Frederick Cooper, NYU, New York 'This is a wonderfully rich and nuanced history of the early phase of French colonial rule in West Africa through the lens of the life of Mademba Sčye, who started his career as a telegrapher and later acquired, backed by his French supporters, the rank of 'King'. Richard Roberts offers highly illuminating insights into the structures of power during the first decades of colonialism and how diverse actors attempted to navigate the challenges of this period.' Andreas Eckert, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin 'Mobilizing unparalleled knowledge of the field and decades of careful research, Richard Roberts uses Faama Mademba Sčye's remarkable rise from telegraph clerk to African 'king' to explore the complex dynamics of French colonialism in the Soudan, illuminating the realms of governance, law, economic exploitation, and more.' Elizabeth A. Foster, Tufts University 'An astonishing book. Richard L. Roberts is confirmed as a major master, not just of African history but also of the historian's craft in bringing to life what generations of historians always dreamt of, a 'king's' life scattered among thousands of archival documents. A masterpiece.' Alessandro Stanziani, EHESS 'Roberts reveals through this book changing patterns of colonial governance, law, and the ways in which intermediaries creatively engaged and remade themselves constantly to fit the changing needs of colonialism.' David Newman Glovsky, American Historical Review
