The Glory of Medieval Benin Portrayed by a Revered Artist

The Court of the Oba of Benin by Ben Enwonwu

The Court of the Oba of Benin was a work created in 1972 by the Nigerian artist Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu (1917-1994).

It depicts an Oba (King) of Benin holding a yellow royal ceremonial sword while being attended to by chiefs who also hold ceremonial swords. The King is wearing a white skull cap while dressed in white folds of cloth rather than the more formal coral bead regalia. The red earthen walls indicate that the ceremony is being held within the royal palace in Benin City.

Ben Enwonwu was born in Onitsha, a city in Igboland with historical and cultural connections to the Edo Kingdom of Benin. He taught at Edo College in Benin City, and was a professor at the University of Ife when he produced this painting.

The oil-on-canvas painting sold for US$137,575 (£106,854) at an auction held by Bonhams in New York in May 2019.

© Adeyinka Makinde (2020)

Adeyinka Makinde is a writer based in London, England.

Colonel Count Claus von Stauffenberg and the German Soul

Secret Germany: Claus von Stauffenberg and the Mystical Crusade Against Hitler by Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh. Published by Jonathan Cape in 1994.

Colonel Count Claus Graf von Stauffenberg is widely known as the man who planted a bomb in a briefcase which almost succeeded in killing Adolf Hitler. Secret Germany: Claus von Stauffenberg and the Mystical Crusade Against Hitler, a book which I purchased back in August 1994, sought to explore Stauffenberg not in the linear narrative format or by focusing on the Bomb Plot against Hitler, and instead investigated the influence on him by the German symbolist poet Stefan George, one of whose works was entitled “Secret Germany”. Stauffenberg allegedly shouted “Long live Secret Germany” (some claim that it was “Long live Holy Germany) just before a firing squad opened fire. The book makes references to figures such as Heine, Goethe, Thomas Mann, Wagner and others who examined what may be termed “The German Soul”. It examines German history, as well as the philosophical and spiritual content of the ideas which shaped German nationhood up to the Third Reich.

The best book that I have read about a military figure is Secret Germany: Claus von Stauffenberg and the Mystical Crusade Against Hitler.

Why do I rate it highly?

Because of what it is not.

The book is not a conventional biography. While it does cover biographical details, as well as Colonel Stauffenberg’s pivotal role in the July 20 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, it delves into the ideas and the belief system which shaped the man, as well as the epochs in German history which shaped the German people.

Stauffenberg reportedly shouted the words “Long live Secret Germany” prior to being shot dead by a firing squad after the failure of the anti-Hitler coup that he led. Those words were pregnant with meaning and open the window through which Baigent and Leigh assessed his belief system. There are thought-provoking reference points to esotericism, mysticism, religion, poetry, and the shaping not only of the subject, who was an aristocrat by birth, but also of the German people and the powers that unleashed their domination of culture through music, philosophy and economics. It also explores the factors influencing the German tendency towards martial belligerence and hyper-nationalist sentiment during the rise of Prussia, the era of the Kaiser and the Third Reich.

The reader is reminded that Heine, the German poet and thinker, felt that Christianity served as a bulwark of sorts to control the “battle lust” of the German people. Even after centuries of official Christianisation, he believed that this religion kept a tenuous lid on the warrior tendencies of the German race, among who could arise a demagogue-thinker who would be able to use his primitive powers to summon up the demonic forces of German pantheism.

The “battle lust” that led to German defeat and near annihilation in two World Wars was something predicted by Goethe, who during the Napoleonic age cautioned his people about their embrace of nationalism and militarism. As the authors point out in the chapter entitled “Culture and the Spirit”, Goethe predicted that Germany would come to disaster if its people pursued the path of militarism, and so called on the German people to invest in culture and the spirit, that is, conquer the world with their talents in music, philosophy, trade and the sciences.

By initially supporting the policies of Adolf Hitler, this is something which Stauffenberg did not adhere to. But his action in seeking to end Hitler’s life in an operation which was not likely to succeed, was designed from his perspective to serve as an atonement for the sins of his nation.

© Adeyinka Makinde (2020)

Adeyinka Makinde is a writer based in London, England.

Research Interests, Publications and Citations of my Writings - Updated July 2020

Research interests

●        Intelligence & Security

●        The History and Culture of the Sport of Boxing

Publications

Books:

JERSEY BOY: The Life and Mob Slaying of Frankie DePaula (iUniverse) 2010, ISBN: 978-1-45020-637-2, 274pp including b/w photographs.

DICK TIGER: The Life and Times of a Boxing Immortal (Word Association) 2005, ISBN: 978-1-59571-042-0, 312pp including b/w photographs.

News magazine articles:

“Italy’s Ethiopian Massacre Finally Comes to Light” (Book Review of Ian Campbell’s The Addis Ababa Massacre: Italy’s National Shame). New African Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 584 June (2018) 68-71.

"A Night To Remember But...” (Commemorating the semi-centennial of Black Africa's first world championship boxing contest fought between Nigeria's Dick Tiger and the American Gene Fullmer on August 10th 1963). Africa Today, Vol. 19, No. 0809, August/September (2013) 31-34.

Journal articles:

"Old Man of Biafra" (Chapter Excerpt from the biography Dick Tiger: The Life and Times of a Boxing Immortal). African Renaissance, Vol 2, No 5 September/October (2005) 124-130.

"Boxing: Rousing the Nigerian Giant." African Renaissance, Vol 2, No 2 March/April (2005) 68-73.

Book reviews:

"On Intelligence: The History of Espionage and the Secret World"​. Global Security and Intelligence Studies Journal, Vol 2, Number 1 (2016)103-105.

"Empire of Secrets: British Intelligence, the Cold War and the Twilight of Empire." Covert Policing, Terrorism and Intelligence Law Review, Vol 2, Issue 2 (2014)159-161.

Textbook contributions:

"Pug of Ages: Weep for Me." Essay reproduced in Writing the Synthesis Essay, edited by John Brassil et al. New Jersey: Peoples Education, 2008 13-15.

Book Chapters:

"The Africans: Boxing and Africa," in The Cambridge Companion to Boxing, edited by Gerald Early, New York: Cambridge University Press, 201 99-117.

"Jose Torres: The Boxer as Writer," in The Cambridge Companion to Boxing, edited by Gerald Early, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2019 223-235.

Conference Papers:

"Intelligence and Accountability: From the Cold War to the War on Terror."

Presented at 'The Past, Present and Future of Intelligence' on 25th May 2013 at Aberystwyth University under the auspices of the Centre for Intelligence and International Security Studies (CIISS).

Selected Unrefereed Essays and Commentaries:

Global Security

“Russia and Britain: An Enduring but Fruitless Rivalry,” Global Research dot Canada (2018).

“The Pan-Islamic Option: The West’s Part in the Creation and Sustaining of Islamist Terror,” Global Research dot Canada (2017).

“Saudi Arabia and the Doctrine of Global Islamist Terror,” Global Research dot Canada (2017).

“Israel and Islamist Militias: A Strange and Recurring Alliance,” Global Research dot Canada (2017).

“M.A.D.: The Nuclear Debate America Should be Having,” Global Research dot Canada (2016).

“The Syrian Tragedy: Western Foreign Policy and its ‘Useful Idiots’,” Global Research dot Canada (2016).

“Vladimir Putin and the Patterns of Power,” Global Research dot Canada (2015).

“The Crisis of Isis: A Debacle of a Great Game,” Global Research dot Canada (2014).

“The Ukraine Crisis: The Case for Russia,” Adeyinka Makinde, Writer Blog (2014).

“Democracy, Terrorism, and the Secret State,” Global Research dot Canada (2013).

History

“The Six Day War - Myth and Reality,” Global Research dot Canada (2017).

“Solzhenitsyn: The Price of Blacklisting a Nobel Laureate’s Book,” Adeyinka Makinde, Writer Blog (2013).

“Pope Pius and History,” Adeyinka Makinde, Writer Blog (2009).

Military History

“Frank Kitson: A Soldier’s Legacy,” Adeyinka Makinde, Writer Blog (2016).

“About Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle,” Adeyinka Makinde, Writer Blog (2014).

“Skorzeny: The Mythical Commando,” Adeyinka Makinde, Writer Blog (2013).

African Political History

“The Tragedy of Ignatius Acheampong: Visionary and Kleptocrat,” Global Research dot Canada, (2020).

“The Iron-Fisted Ethiopian State,” Global Research dot Canada, (2016).

Music

“Remembering Fela Anikulapo-Kuti,” Dissident Voice (2017).

“The Legacy of Michael Jackson,” Adeyinka Makinde, Writer Blog (2009).

Boxing

“The Mystery of the Velodrome: Battling Siki Versus Georges Carpentier,” Adeyinka Makinde, Writer Blog (2016).

“Floyd Mayweather: The Aesthetics of African-American Boxing Style,” Adeyinka Makinde, Writer Blog (2013).

“Remembering Dick Tiger,” Eastside Boxing dot com (2001).

Citations

Books

Work cited: DICK TIGER: The Life and Times of a Boxing Immortal. Word Association, May 2005.

Cited in the following books:

Lis, Daniel. Jewish Identity among the Igbo of Nigeria: Israel's "Lost Tribe" and the Question of Belonging in the Jewish State. Africa World Press, Nov. 2014.

Oliver, Brian. The Commonwealth Games: Extraordinary Stories Behind the Medals. Bloomsbury Sport, May 2014.

Torromeo, Dario; Esposito, Franco. I Pugni Degli Eroi. Absolutely Free Editore, Dec. 2013.

Achebe, Chinua. There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra. Allen Lane, Sept. 2012.

Hall, Karen L. Game Plan: A Social History of Sport in Alberta. University of Alberta Press, Jun. 2012.

Hudson, David L. Boxing in America: An Autopsy. Praeger Publishers, Jun. 2012.

Redner, Charles. Down But Never Out. Open Books Press, Feb. 2010.

Work cited: "Democracy, Terrorism and the Secret State: From the Era of Gladio to the War on Terror." Global Research dot Canada, Jan. 2013.

Cited in the following book:

Paterson, Graham L. A Constitutional Journey. Xlibris, Feb. 2013.

Work cited: "The Politics of Anthony Mundine." Eastside Boxing dot Com, Oct. 2001.

Cited in the following book:

Sarra, Chris. Strong and Smart - Towards a Pedagogy for Emancipation: Education for First Peoples (Part of New Studies in Critical Realism and Education Series). Routledge, Aug. 2012.

Academic journals

Work cited: "Project Balkanisation: Oded Yinon and an Enduring Plank of Israeli Foreign Policy". Global Research dot Canada, Jul. 2018.

Cited in the following journal:

Abadi, Jacob, "Israel and Lebanon: Relations Under Stress" Contemporary Review of the Middle East, March 2020.

Work cited: DICK TIGER: The Life and Times of a Boxing Immortal. Word Association, May 2005.

Cited in the following journal:

Johnes, Martin and Taylor, Matthew. "Boxing, Race and British Identity, 1945-1962" The Historical Journal, 1 29, Cambridge University Press (2020).

Work cited: "M.A.D.: The Nuclear Debate America Should be Having". Global Research dot Canada, Oct. 2016.

Cited in the following journal:

Kővári, László Lt. Col. "AZ Amerikai-Orosz Fegyversetkorlatozasi, Illetve Csokkentesi Megallapodasok Helyzete es Perspektivaja" Honvédségi Szemle, 2019/5 pp. 102-113.

Work cited: Book review of "On Intelligence: The History of Espionage and the Secret World.” Global Security and Intelligence Studies, Vol. 2: No. 1, Article 8 (2016).

Cited in the following journal:

Bonaldo, Frederico and Marques Silva. “Industria da Espionagem: Ponte Comercial ou Obstaculo a Paz?” Quaestio luris, Volume 5, Volume 12, No. 2 (2019) pp. 691-705.

Work cited: “Vladimir Putin and the Patterns of Global Power.” Global Research dot Canada, Nov. 2015.

Cited in the following journal:

Li Ming, Tseng. “No More Blood For Oil. How Could EU Help?” Review of Business and Economics Studies, Volume 5, No. 2 (2017), pp. 47-57.

Work cited: “NATO: Private Club of War Criminals.” Global Research dot Canada, Oct. 2016.

Cited in the following journal:

Ahmed, Mughees; Murtaza, Zainab & Shahzadi, Tanzila. “Libyan Gold Dinar Plan and US-Nato Retort”.  The Government: Annual Research Journal of Political Science, Volume 6, No. 6 (2017), pp. 115-124.

Work cited: "Floyd Mayweather: The Aesthetics of African-American Boxing Style." Adeyinka Makinde, Writer Blog, Oct. 2013.

Cited in the following journals:

Perkins, Paul; Helmer, Richard J.N.; Mackintosh, Colin & Hahn, Allan G. "Reflections on Long-Term Development and Use of Automated Scoring Technology in a Sport (Modified Boxing) Context." World Journal of Engineering and Technology, Volume 5, No. 03 (2017), pp. 455-480.

Perkins, Paul; Hahn, Allan; Lucas, Richard & Keegan, Richard. “The Boxing Conundrum: Is there a Place for a New Variant of the Sport?” Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science, Volume 2, Issue 09 (2014), pp. 09-25.

Work cited: “The Iron-Fisted Ethiopian State.” Global Research dot Canada, Sept. 2016.

Cited in the following journal:

Yiannoutsos, Alexandra. “Crossing Arms: The Plight and Protest of the Oromo in Ethiopia.” The McGill International Review [Online] Nov. 8 (2016).

Work cited: DICK TIGER: The Life and Times of a Boxing Immortal. Word Association, May 2005.

Cited in the following journal:

Gennaro, Michael. “‘The Whole Place is in Pandemonium’: Dick Tiger versus Gene Fullmer III and the Consumption of Boxing in Nigeria." The International Journal of the History of Sport, Volume 30, Issue 16 (2013).

Work cited: "Retreading Hagler versus Hearns." Eastside Boxing dot Com, Apr. 2002.

Cited in the following journal:

Ehrlichman, Brad. "In This Corner: An Analysis of Federal Boxing Legislation." Columbia Journal of Law & the Arts. Volume 34, No. 3 (2011), pp 421-456.

Academic textbooks

Work cited: "Pug of Ages: Weep For Me." Cyberboxingzone dot Com, Oct. 2002.

Reproduced in the following textbook:

Brassil, John et al. Writing the Synthesis Essay. Peoples Education, 2007.

Reference books

Work cited: DICK TIGER: The Life and Times of a Boxing Immortal. Word Association, May 2005.

Cited in the following books:

The Editors of Salem Press. Great Athletes - Boxing & Soccer (Volume 1 of a 12-Volume set). Salem Press, Sept. 2014.

Grasso, John. Historical Dictionary of Boxing. Scarecrow Press, Jan. 2014.

Akyeampong, Emmanuel K.; Gates, Henry Louis (Editors). Dictionary of African Biography. Oxford University Press, Dec. 2011.

Hudson, David L. Combat Sports: An Encyclopaedia of Wrestling, Fighting and Mixed Martial Arts. Greenwood Press, Apr. 2009.

Gates, Henry Louis; Higginbotham, Evelyn Brooks (Editors). The African-American National Biography. Oxford University Press. Mar. 2008.

Think Tank Papers

Work cited: “Debacle of a Great Game: The Islamic State (IS) and America’s War on Iraq and Syria”, Global Research dot Canada, Aug. 2014.

Cited in the following papers:

Yilmaz, Sait. “Kuresel Tetorun Geldigi Asamayi Nasil Okumaliyiz?”, 21 Yuzyil Turkiye Enstitusu (2015).

Yilmaz, Sait. “ISID ve Ortadogu’da Uzun Savas”, 21 Yuzyil Turkiye Enstitusu (2014).

Unpublished Work (Theses & Dissertations)

Work cited: DICK TIGER: The Life and Times of a Boxing Immortal. Word Association, May 2005.

Cited in the following projects:

Gennero, Michael. “‘Empire Boxers are the Goods’: Race, Boxing, and Nigerians in the Black Atlantic," Nigeria in the Ring: Boxing, Masculinity, and the Empire in Nigeria, 1930-1957, unpublished dissertation, University of Florida (2016).

Obasa, Olusegun. Sports and the Modernity of Leisure in Nigeria: Stadium Space and the Symbolisms of Expressions, 1930-1980, unpublished dissertation, University of Texas at Austin (2015).

Work cited: "Floyd Mayweather: The Aesthetics of African-American Boxing Style." Adeyinka Makinde, Writer Blog, Oct. 2013.

Cited in the following project:

Perkins, Paul. "Can a Modified, Low Risk Form of Boxing Achieve Significant Community Intake?" unpublished dissertation, University of Canberra (2019).

Work cited: “The Six Day War: Myth and Reality”, Global Research dot Canada, June 2017.

Cited in the following project:

Havelkova, Lenka. “Conflict of Identities: Zionism and Palestinian Nationalism”, unpublished master’s thesis, Univerzita Karlova (2017).

Work cited: “The Manchester Bombing: A Case of State Criminal Negligence or Worse?”, Global Research dot Canada, May 2017.

Cited in the following project:

Giroux, Kathryn. “The Quest for an Optimal Balance: Civil Liberties in an era of Securitization: An Analysis of Canadian Anti-Terror Legislation", unpublished master’s thesis, McGill University, Montreal (2018).

© Adeyinka Makinde (2020)

Adeyinka Makinde is based in London, England.