Review by Choice Review
Old Africa hands and Nigerians of all stripes can trade horror stories of Lagos for hours: a month spent without electricity; an assassination made successful by a traffic jam; conspicuous consumption that would leave Robin Leach dizzy. Nevertheless there is a fascination and dynamism to this city that is irresistable. Peil provides a guided tour of Nigeria's New York City. She knows Lagos inside and out. Moreover, she has digested the mountains of research done in Lagos over the past two decades mainly political studies and planning documents but also history and adds her own considerable insights. This is a sophisticated urban geography through which readers come to understand the articulation of economic life, transport, and residential patterns. The people, however, are never invisible. The author begins each chapter with a biographical sketch that enlivens the analysis and enlightens the reader. Peil's study now is the standard against which all future African urban studies will be judged both for thoroughness and for lucidity. College, university, and public libraries.-J. A. Works Jr., University of Missouri-St. Louis
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
