Mahir Şaul is a professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is coauthor of African Challenge to Empire: Culture and History in the Volta-Bani Anticolonial War and author of many articles on West African anthropology and social and economic history.

"A must-read for any scholar interested in the military and social history of colonial rule in Africa." (International Journal of African Historical Studies) "This is only one of many historical studies written by anthropologists in recent years, but it is surely one of the best." (The International History Review) "This book is an outstanding example of how two scholars from the distinct disciplines of history and anthropology can join talents to produce an excellent study, one that adequately combines dense narratives with insightful theories … [It] presents us with not only a dense political narrative about men and motives, but also a cultural history, with the magic and supernatural dimensions of war." (Historian)

Mahir Şaul is a professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is coauthor of African Challenge to Empire: Culture and History in the Volta-Bani Anticolonial War and author of many articles on West African anthropology and social and economic history.

"A must-read for any scholar interested in the military and social history of colonial rule in Africa." (International Journal of African Historical Studies) "This is only one of many historical studies written by anthropologists in recent years, but it is surely one of the best." (The International History Review) "This book is an outstanding example of how two scholars from the distinct disciplines of history and anthropology can join talents to produce an excellent study, one that adequately combines dense narratives with insightful theories … [It] presents us with not only a dense political narrative about men and motives, but also a cultural history, with the magic and supernatural dimensions of war." (Historian)