Eugenia W. Herbert is the E. Nevius Rodman Professor of History Emeritus at Mount Holyoke College and book review editor of the African Studies Review. Among her recent publications are Iron, Gender, and Power: Rituals of Transformation in African Societies and Twilight on the Zambezi: Late Colonialism in Central Africa.

Red Gold of Africa is researched with a depth of scholarship that will leave future historians green with envy. It is also written with a literary eloquence which makes each new idea a joy to savour. The judgements are made with humane detachment and cool humour to enhance their persuasive force. The book is a masterpiece." —Journal of African History"Eugenia W. Herbert addresses the subject from a multidisciplinary perspective, examining technology, history, oral tradition, economics, symbolic anthropology, and archaeology." —American Historical Review"Red Gold of Africa is a sensitive piece of scholarship, an important addition to the literature for those who seek understanding of culture through its material and technological rendition." —Technology and Culture