New release: Henri Gaden à travers l’Afrique de l’Ouest (1894–1939). By Roy Dilley
7. April 2015
Fils de Bordeaux, aventurier africain
translated by Jean-Louis Balans
Paris: Éditions L’Harmattan 2015
Reference
[This book] offers the first full-length biography of Henri Gaden, an exceptional French colonial character who lived through some of the most radical transformations in West African history. It provides an in-depth, intimate and rounded portrayal of the man, his place in history, and the contradictions, tensions and ambiguities not only in his personal and professional life but also at the heart of the colonial enterprise.
Soldier, ethnographer and linguist, lover, father, administrator and Governor, Henri Gaden (1867-1939) lived for 45 years in West Africa. Faced with the chaos, insecurity and insanity of colonial existence, Gaden experienced a rich mosaic of human pain and passion, of curiosity and intellectual endeavour, of folly and failure. (Brill about the English original of this book)
Roy Dilley is Professor of Social Anthropology, University of St Andrews, Scottland. As a fellow of the Institute for Advanced Study Konstanz (October 2011–September 2012) he has worked on this book. The translation was funded by the Center of Excellence “Cultural Foundations of Social Integration.”