An invaluable contribution to the emerging body of African masculinity studies, drawing on the epic, folk tales, proverbs and song genres. The book explores the pervasive influence of orality on patterns of thought, as well as underlying notions of masculinity in African societies through the work of writers such as Chinua Achebe, Ama Ata Aidoo, Ahmadou Kourouma, Nuruddin Farah and Nawal El Saadawi.