{"product_id":"9781035061730","title":"The Masque of Africa","description":"Author: V.S. Naipaul\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9781035061730\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Pan Macmillan UK\u003cbr\u003eYear first published: 10 Feb 2026\u003cbr\u003ePages: 336\u003cbr\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Compelling, insightful, often sombrely beautiful’ \u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\nMoving beyond travelogue, V.S. Naipaul’s \u003ci\u003eThe Masque of Africa\u003c\/i\u003e considers the effects of belief – in indigenous animisms, the foreign religions of Christianity and Islam, the cults of leaders and mythical history – upon the progress of African civilization. Beginning in Uganda, at the continent’s centre, Naipaul’s journey takes in Ghana and Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and Gabon, and ends, as the continent does, in South Africa.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\nFocusing upon the theme of belief, Naipaul examines the fragile but enduring quality of the old world of magic. To witness the ubiquity of such ancient ritual, to be given some idea of its power, was to be taken far back to the beginning of things. To reach that beginning was the purpose of this book.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eNow part of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the very best of modern literature.\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Ships in 10 to 15 days","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46798810054814,"sku":"TLD-9781035061730","price":29.78,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0400\/9043\/5742\/files\/9781035061730.jpg?v=1778119684","url":"https:\/\/classicbargains.com.au\/products\/9781035061730","provider":"Classic Bargains Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}