Abubakar Bwana Kodo is the son of the Imam of Witu, a Swahili city-state within the Lamu archipelago. As a youth, he is taught his people's culture and history. A sailor and soldier, he sails the Indian Ocean, visits coastal communities, and serves as a captain in his nation's army.
Walter 'Hassan' Fox, a Royal Marine, is a descendant of al-Hassan bin Ahmad, the last Swahili Sultan of Mombasa. Decades before, his grandfather, Mitchel 'Hassan' Fox, was abducted and sold as a slave to the British East Indian Company. He serves in the anti-slavery blockade mounted by the Royal Navy across the Indian Ocean.
Set in the late nineteenth century, this is the tale of the Sultanate of Witu, of the Nabahani dynasty, her Sultans, and subjects. At stake in her fight against usurping Omani colonialists aided by their British allies is the survival of Swahili civilization. As the region descends into anarchy, the lives and destinies of Abubakar and Walter become intertwined.
Contained herein is a comprehensive record of native cultures, polities, and a catalogue of historical events.