In this groundbreaking collection, leading historians, Africanists, and other scholars document the life and work of twelve Igbo intellectuals who, educated within European traditions, came to terms with the dominance of European thought while making significant contributions to African intellectual traditions.

A stimulating and original account of the Igbo of Eastern Nigeria from ancient times to the present, arranged into chapters paying attention to critical issues and themes. Professor Afigbo, a pre-eminent scholar of the Igbo who lived and taught among them for more than 40 years, has collected his experiences and scholarship into a synthesised historiography of the Igbo and their place in the African diaspora.