The simple truth is - no words suffice to describe the
magnificence and radiance of this work; no praise is high enough for the
extraordinary sacrifice, diligence and doggedness of the "Johnson
brothers" that finally brought this masterpiece into fruition. This work
is more than a labour of love, as it were. To put this into context, the world
can not imagine Chinua Achebe's superb novel, Things fall apart, not ever being
published; but literary history shows that it was a close-run thing! Achebe's
original manuscript was more or less lost or discarded by the typists in
England, and it was fortuitous indeed that the manuscript was retrieved.
Tragically the original manuscript of History of the Yorubas - countless
hundreds of pages - was actually lost, a harrowing, horrific fact; but the
younger (Dr) Johnson embarked upon the more than daunting task of re-writing
again, using copious notes left by his brother...and after many years this
wonderfully detailed book was finally published. And what a book! This is more
than comprehensive, tracing the history, anthropology, mores, customs, language
etc of the Yoruba people who now run into tens of millions, and are spread all
over the world. But of course when this book was written, the people were
essentially confined to the western part of Nigeria... Yorubas were always
noted for building towns and cities. And for the elaborate customs, and system
of government with intricate, intelligent checks and balances. Wars alas took
their toll on the society, wars which would exasperate the encroaching
(British) colonisers. The Ijaiye war in particular was horrendous and embraced
large parts of Yorubaland - and exceedingly tragic for Ijaiye town. All this is
detailed in this work, including the rise of Ibadan in the process. And then
the whites and the "maxim guns" which prodded lots of respect, and
peace of sorts in Yorubaland... This work is a tour de force - written and
published long before even more glories for Yorubaland under the legendary
Obafemi Awolowo who presided over the first television station in Africa, the
first skyscraper in west Africa at least (Cocoa House), the then iconic Liberty
Stadium...but alas, we are perhaps getting ahead of ourselves here...
- O Bolaji
