Amadou HampÂtÉ BÂ (1900–1991) was one of the major intellectual and literary figures of twentieth-century Africa as well as a colonial official and postcolonial diplomat. He is the author of the novel The Fortunes of Wangrin and numerous books in French.Jeanne Garane is Professor of French and Comparative Literature at the University of South Carolina.

“This book provides an intimate glimpse of all the transactions involved in the various political and social (dis)loyalties, kinship relations, and religious affiliations in a changing colonial landscape. The narrative locates Amadou HampÂtÉ BÂ in the environment that armed him with a unique character and a set of ideas drawn from secular, animist, Islamic, and Western resources---an education that turned him into a shrewd colonial clerk and archivist of the ‘colonial library.’ Amkoullel, the Fula Boy is an insightful and significant autobiography, an ethnography of communities in transition, and a biography of Francophone colonial West Africa.” - Mamadou Diouf, Columbia University “Amadou HampÂtÉ BÂ has long been recognized as one of the most authoritative voices about Mali, Islamic West Africa, Fulani culture, orality, and the dialogue between religions. Jeanne Garane’s masterful translation of BÂ’s rich and captivating memoir presents a vivid picture of the mechanisms of social change in Mali and many neighboring countries. The publication of Amkoullel, the Fula Boy is truly a blessing.” - Chérif Keïta, William H. Laird Professor of French and the Liberal Arts, Carleton College “The work of a great storyteller . . .  filled with humor and drama alike, tracing the author’s everyday life in Bandiagara and later in the colonial Mali, while showcasing his preoccupation with oral history, tradition, anthropology, initiation, religion, fate etc.” - Clara Burghelea (Ezra) "Penned by a renowned Malian writer, ethnographer, and historian whose life spanned the 20th century, this gem of a book recounts the life and times of the author and his ancestors in precolonial and colonial West Africa. Marked by the strong oral storytelling tradition of the Fula ethnic group, BÂ’s elegantly written tale is historically informative and expertly translated by Garane. . . . A powerful agent for deeper understanding and a significant contribution to the literature, this is a must-have volume for scholars, students, and academic libraries. Essential. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals."(Choice) “Amkoullel, the Fula Boy is a tale that talks of the age-old wisdom of the griots and the mode of living in African societies. It pushes the boundaries of colonial education to make it coexist with spiritual and religious learning in a child's mind.” - Riti Sharma (African Studies Quarterly)

• Foreword to the Translation / Ralph A. Austen  ixIntroduction: Between Memory and Memorial / Jeanne Garane  xvAmkoullel, The Fula BoyPreface to the Original Edition / ThÉodore Monod  3Author's Foreword / Amadou HampÂtÉ B  71. Roots  1My Dual Heritage  11PÂtÉ Poullo, My Maternal Grandfather  15The Story of My Father HampÂtÉ, the Lamb in the Lion's Den  202. Kadidja, My Mother  39Kadidja's Dream  39Kadidja and HampÂtÉ: A Rocky Marriage  42Kadidja and Tidjani  45The ToÏni Revolt 49Kadidja's Quest  64The Trial  793. Exile  83Tidjani's Long March  85Kadidja's Village  87On the Road to Bougouni with My Mother  98Kadidja Battle the Boss of the Laptot Boatmen  100Birth of My Little Brother  105My Father in Chains  111An Ember That Does Not Burn  115Death of My Early Childhood  121Danfo SinÉ the Dan Player  124Death of My Old Master  127In the Shade of Great Trees  136Freedom at Last!  1374. Return to Bandiagara  142A Day in the Life of a Child  145The White Man's Excrement and the Town Made of Trash  149I Establish My First Association  153A Handful of Rice  156At School with the Masters of the World  159Sinali's Garden  161Boy and Girl Valentines  168Kadidja and Tidjani in Crisis  173Circumcision of My Brother Hammadoun  176The Great Battle  1855. At the White Man's School  194Requisitioned by Force  194The Commandant and the Five-Franc Coin  202Primary School  209My First Encounter with Wangrin  218The Death of My Older Brother  220The School at DjennÉ: My Primary Studies Certificate  223The Great Famine of 1914: A Vision of Horror  234Declaration of War  241Flight  251On The Trail of the War Dogs  256The Three Colors of France  259The Land-Roving Pirogue of Metal  264The Abysmal Lair of the Great Black Hyena  2666. In the Military of Town of Kati  270My New WaaldÉ Association  274A Hasty Circumcision  278Return to School  281The Warrant Officer and the King's Son  2827. Final Studies in Bamako  296My Second Primary Studies Certificate  296In Vain Pursuit of the Wind  299Boarding School in Bamako  311The Consequences of a Refusal: Exile in Ouagadougou  317I Bid Farewell on the Riverbank  326Translator's Acknowledgments  329Notes  331Bibliography  345Biographies  351Index  353