Britain and the looted African gold

Barnaby Phillips examines the rise of the Ashanti kingdom, its extraordinary gold regalia, and the 19th-century British military campaigns that looted those treasures. The book traces how the objects were dispersed across British institutions and private collections and follows decades-long efforts for restitution. Phillips combines archival research with on-the-ground reporting, including recent ceremonies and loans of regalia back to Kumasi. He situates the Ashanti story within broader debates about colonial plunder, museum law, and cultural diplomacy. The narrative highlights both the historical violence of imperialism and contemporary attempts at reconciliation through loans and returns.