African Kingdom of Gold - Britain and the Asante Treasure

Empire. Plunder. Resistance.

The forgotten history of Britain and the Asante gold.

'A fascinating and timely book... brilliant.' William Boyd on Loot

1874. Kumasi, the Asante capital, burns. British soldiers prowl the palace, looting as much gold as they can find, before razing it to the ground. In Britain the soldiers are feted as heroes. In 1896 they return, looting the palace a second time and carrying off more gold to London in triumph.

Royalty, aristocracy and London's most illustrious museums divide the spoils. 'It is scarcely possible to do justice to the variety and beauty of these specimens,' The Times declares. There are golden masks, swooping eagles and an exquisitely wrought ram's head. One mpomponsou - a ceremonial sword - comes wrapped in a leopard skin sheath.

Tracing the course of Britain's wars with the Asante alongside the course of its plundered relics, Barnaby Phillips weaves a thrilling and poignant tale of imperial ambition and African resistance. Travelling from the Gold Coast to the museum galleries, officers' mess rooms and aristocratic homes of Britain, The African Kingdom of Gold confronts us with urgent questions about the legacy of Empire and, in particular, how our museums should respond.

About the author

Barnaby Phillips spent over twenty-five years as a journalist, reporting for the BBC from Mozambique, Angola, Nigeria and South Africa before joining Al Jazeera English. He is the author of Another Man’s War: The Story of a Burma Boy in Britain’s Forgotten African Army and Loot: Britain and the Benin Bronzes. He grew up in Kenya and now lives in London.

Product details

• Authors: Barnaby Phillips, Phillips Barnaby
• Publisher: Oneworld
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 14.04.2026
• EAN: 9781836431336
• ISBN: 978-1-83643-133-6
• No. of pages: 416
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Regional and national histories; Portugal, Ghana, Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900, British Empire, HISTORY / Modern / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Colonialism & Post-Colonialism, HISTORY / Africa / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Imperialism, c 1800 to c 1900, Colonialism & imperialism, Colonialism and imperialism, African History, 1837–1901 (Victorian period), Australasia, Oceania & other land areas, Decolonisation and postcolonial studies, Historical states, empires, territories and regions: Africa, Ashanti / Asante Empire / Kingdoms, African history: pre-colonial