this book and its originality." - Gloria Chuku, Associate Professor, Africana Studies Department, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
"By focusing on the longue durée and on change over time, this book transforms our understanding of Igbo political history. John Oriji's prodigious research, comparative method, and historical approach sweep away old assumptions about the Igbo as a supposedly 'stateless' people who lived in an 'acephalous' society. This work marks a new beginning in the historical study of Igbo political systems, and is a welcome addition to Igbo studies, Nigerian historiography, and African history generally." - Douglas B. Chambers, Associate Professor of African History at the University of SouthernMississippi and author of Murder at Montpelier: Igbo Africans in Virginia
"In this timely book John Oriji uses the diachronic and multi-disciplinary approach to explain changes undergone by Igbo political systems since the Late Stone Age. It is a courageous tour-de-force that threads deftly - and triumphantly - along the rugged and uneven terrain of Igbo history. It deserves to be widely read." - G. N. Uzoigwe, Professor, Formerly Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Imo State University; Head, Department of History, Mississippi State University