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Robert A. Myers, Ghana. World Bibliographical Series 124, Oxford: Clio, 1991, 464 pp., £65.95, ISBN 1 85109 135 1.

This volume is the hundred and twenty-fourth in Clio's World Bibliographical Series. The aim is to cover every country in the world, each in a separate volume comprising annotated entries on works dealing with each country's history, geography, economy and politics, and with its people, their culture, customs, religion and social organisation. Ghana is the twenty-fifth African country to be covered. It is not clear what are the criteria for the selection of the order of the countries to be dealt with; in most people's reckoning Ghana would be one of the more important African states and as such worthy of coverage early in the series. However, this is a mere quibble. What of the book itself? The goal of the compilation is to provide a broad introduction to the resources available for the study of Ghana. It is intended for both specialists and the general reader, with a useful guide to the large body of printed material available on a wide range of topics. Myers notes disarmingly that the bibliography 'is far from comprehensive'; its aim is restricted to pointing users to the most important resources for the investigation of particular subjects and 'to be as helpful as possible in calling attention to related publications' (p. xxv). The objective of the detailed index and the cross-references following sections and sub-sections is to make Ghanaian topics as 'user-friendly' as a bibliography can be. Which items were selected was governed by several criteria: age (although old 'classics' of the literature have not been neglected) and substantiveness (books and monographs are favoured over articles and theses because the book would have been twice the size otherwise). This would presumably have meant twice the cost, and the volume is expensive enough at £65.95; it is difficult to imagine many buyers in these thrifty times stumping up over £130, however desirable the book may be! Yet the size of the interest in Ghana is hinted at when Myers notes that more than 600 doctoral theses have been written on Ghana or the Gold Coast, with over 100 on the various ethnic groups, including the Ashanti, in addition. The availability of the items included is also a criterion, and an admirable one for the researcher, who will be able to track down most entries through the inter-library loan system if United Kingdom-based.