Book Review: In Our Days

Curled from Nigerian Tribune
Thurs. 7th Sept. 2006

THE book: “In Our Days” is the autobiography of Dr. Festus Adebisi Ajayi, O.O.N, S.A.N., a former Attorney-General of the old Western State of Nigeria.

The book itself is a fantastic book written by a master craftsman of the English language. It is a unique book on many accounts: it is unique in volume, in content and in its style and analytical details. I am a passionate lover of biographies and autobiographies and can claim to have read many a biography and autobiography. I can truthfully say that I have not read another autobiography like In Our Days. The book contains every detail about the author from the earlier days of his life that he can recall.

In terms of concept and format, the book is well laid out. It is presented in an easy-to-read prose with a masterly crafted literary style. It is packaged into 19 chapters, arranged more on less in chronological sequence, beginning with his family background and infancy details. The first five chapters deal exhaustively with the author’s birth, early childhood years, his genealogy and pedigree. This arrangement is consistent with most biographies that I have read so far. However, what makes this book unique is the exceptional power of information, retention and recall of issues that came his way even as a little child of three, four, or five etc.

The details of such events are painstakingly and delightfully recorded with insightful clarity. Chapter one deals with the author’s pre-school life before the commencement of primary education at St. Peter’s School, Ibokun. Chapter two provides a rich account of the first segment of his elementary education at St. Peter’s School, Ibokun.

Chapter three contains the author’s account of the second half of his primary school days at St. John’s School, Iloro, Ilesha. The second section of chapter three is where the author presents the account of his admission to Ilesa Grammar School.
The book contains 19 Chapters.