Books

First edition, first impression, of this scarce title, which completed Chinua Achebe's debut African Trilogy sequence following Things Fall Apart (1958) and No Longer At Ease (1960). "While preparing a feature on the response of Nigerians to early colonial rule, Achebe investigated the story of an Igbo priest imprisoned for refusing to collaborate with the British. Fascinated by the tale and the priest's proud character, he made it the focus of his third novel, Arrow of God (1964). Some critics regard this as Achebe's greatest achievement, with its complex structure and characterisation, and its interrogation of the interstices between subjective desire and external forces in the making of history" (Innes.) Octavo. Original blue boards, spine lettered in gilt, publisher's device to rear cover in blind. With dust jacket. Ink signatures to front free endpaper and title page. Bowing to upper corner of rear cover, foxing to edges and endpapers, text unaffected and clean. A very good copy, in like dust jacket, unclipped, spine panel sunned, other panels bright, edges nicked and rubbed, shallow chips to ends and tips, foxing to flaps and verso, recto unaffected and largely free from marks. Lyn Innes, "Chinua Achebe obituary", The Guardian, 22 March 2013.