In response to Nancy Jacobs' query about texts for an introductory
level course in West African history, I can recommend Michael
Crowder's *West Africa: An Introduction to its History* (Longman,
1977 ISBN 0-582- 60003-0). It was designed for use in both West
African and East African high school classrooms, but I found it
entirely appropriate for my students at Colby College. It is
relatively short (214 pages) and has useful maps and illustrations.
I like to teach West African history principally using novels, so
Crowder's book has been my "core" text. My students did not like
John Fage's *A History of West Africa*.
As for novels, I have found that Maryse Conde's *Segu*, Mariama Ba's
*So Long a Letter*, Chinua Achebe's *Things Fall Apart* and *A Man of
the People*, and Ousmane Sembene's *Gods Bits of Wood* are highly
effective with students.
You might also want to consider Brian Catchpole and I.A. Akinjogbin's
*A History of West Africa in Maps and Diagrams* (ISBN 00-326520-X).
Best of luck with your course!