[close] Chinua Achebe is the founding father of modern African literature. His novels, from Things Fall Apart (1958) to Anthills of the Savannah (1987), set the standard for all writers who aspire to portray the continent's complex colonial and tribal legacy. This respectful biography by former student Ezenwa-Ohaeto thoroughly delineates the tangled history of Achebe's native Nigeria and chronicles his courageous support of human rights, frequently violated by Nigeria's government. Achebe's magical fiction needs no explication, but with this biography Western readers will gain a new understanding of the man who created it. [close]