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The Persistence of Paradox: Memoirs of F. L. Bartels. By Francis Bartels. Accra, Ghana: Ghana Universities Press, 2003. Distributed by African Books Collective, Oxford, U.K. Pp. xix, 631. $49.95/£33.95 paper.
Mfantsipim, Ghana's oldest boys' secondary school was described as "the Eton of Ghana" by Dr. William Brown, the then director of African Studies at Boston University (p. 254). John Parker's review of the history of the school1 also referred to the school as "one of West Africa's most illustrious educational institutions." Little wonder then, that Francis Bartels, who has had an illustrious career as a diplomat and international civil servant, should limit his self-identification to "former headmaster of Mfantsipim" in the introduction. Mfantsipim's shadow is cast over the entire memoir from this ninety-two year old distinguished Ghanaian, who left an indelible imprint on the lives of several generations of Mfantsipim students. The Persistence of Paradox is as much a collective history as it is a personal memoir. It is a delightful walk through memory lane evoking nostalgia for all who are interested in the educational system in Ghana, the political currents of the period before and after Ghana's independence, and the times of a man who was well placed to exert great, albeit indirect, influence on many lives.
Divided into five parts, Bartels's book touches on his childhood and self-preparation.
Bartels's twenty-seven year association with Mfantsipim covers his years as a student, teacher, acting headmaster, and headmaster. As a student, he was the best scholar in his years.
Under his leadership, Mfantsipim constructed buildings totaling more than £200,000, primarily with government funding, at a time when the organized opposition to the government was comprised of alumni of...