The Ashantee War: A Narrative

Record summary

Winwood Reade’s The Ashantee War: A Narrative describes the 1873–1874 British campaign against the Asante kingdom and includes observations, hearsay, political explanations, religious references, and stories about Asante institutions and power. It can help researchers examine how wartime reporting converts political traditions and unfamiliar rituals into colonial legend or military stereotype. The account is also a useful comparison with Asante oral history and court traditions. Its perspective is strongly British and expeditionary, and statements about motives, beliefs, or events require independent historical checking.