SOURCE: Vaughan, Olufemi. Review of The Open Sore of a Continent: A Personal Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis, by Wole Soyinka. Journal of Modern African Studies 36, no. 4 (December 1998): 702-04.

In the following review, Vaughan argues that The Open Sore of a Continent: A Personal Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis is both a courageous critique of the Nigerian government as well as a celebration of the spirit of the Nigerian people.

The Open Sore of a Continent is Wole Soyinka's personal narrative of Nigeria's on-going crisis. It is a courageous critique of the growing abuse of power by authoritarian regimes in one of Africa's largest and most powerful countries. It also celebrates the indefatigable spirit of the Nigerian people, and their long struggle for democracy.

The book leads the reader through the perverse world of Nigerian power politics, dominated by a daunting array of military cliques, regional politicians, communal...