Civil Society in Africa is a testament to Sesay's brilliance and mastery of the pen. Erudite, engaging, and gracefully written, this brilliant book takes us through a tantalising journey of Sierra Leone's complicated political terrain and its histories, the sophistication of its everyday street lingo, and the conditions and predicament of democratic accountability in the West African state. Anybody interested in the quotidian banality of Sierra Leonean political life and the forces that shape it will do well to read this book.Zubairu Wai, Lakehead University, Canada.Dr. Sesay has traced the history of, and untangled the intricate workings of civil society, undertaken by student activists, ordinary citizens and other groupings in a country with a fledgling democracy, to promote socio-political and national development agendas. The role of civil society in Sierra Leone today is more critical than it has ever been. Individuals who are interested in understanding the country's efforts in crystallizing its democratic credentials and advancing its development aspirations must consider owning a copy of this publication. Prof. Mohamed Kanu, Tennessee State University, USAThe pages kept turning, one at a time until I finished the book and started reading it all over again. The deep and provoking thoughts on the evolution, nature and character of civil society in Sierra Leone, juxtaposed with the country's tumultuous history provide rich analysis and perspectives that no other book has ever provided on the civil society landscape in Sierra Leone. It makes for easy read and easily captures and challenges the mind of the reader. The book is unputdownable and a highly recommended must read. Academics, policy makers and development workers would benefit enormously from its rich and inspiring accounts.Dr. Ibrahim Bangura, Senior Lecturer, University of Sierra LeoneThe case for the study of 'real civil society' that are embedded in Africa is long overdue; studies that are descriptive, explanatory, reflexive; studies expanding our insights through different actors, over several eras, and that are not dominated by occidental prescriptive orientations. Studying civil society this way captures its configurations, processes and motives; and it helps us see the vital role civil society plays in the development of any country. This contribution by Dr. Mohamed Gibril Sesay has done just that Fr. Dr. Joseph Turay, Vice Chancellor, University of Makeni, Sierra
