African urban scholars from around the world address issues such as how to make sense of African cities, the city in African fiction, popular cultures, and urban histories and complexities. Among specific topics are the urban heroine in Nigerian female fiction, commemorating public events in a Tuareg setting, and how traditional African homesteads reflect the legal consequences of succession. The 29 papers were originally presented at the international conference African Urban Spaces: History and Culture, held in Austin, Texas in March-April 2003. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)