Chatwin's novel tells the story of Francisco Manoel de Silva, an adventurer and slave trader who travels from Brazil to West Africa to make his fortune. He becomes the Viceroy of Ouidah, and controls the slave trade in Dahomey. Eventually, however, the corruption and horror of the life he is leading drive him mad. The story continues from de Silva's empire in the late 18th century to the present day, ending in the Benin military dictatorship of the 1970s, as his descendents cope with the effects of post-colonialism.
- Genre: Fiction + Literature Themes, Fiction + Literature Genres
- Subgenre: Literary, Literary Genres + Types of Novels, Types of Characters, Politics, Human Qualities + Behavior
- Publisher: Penguin Group USA
- Edition: Reissue
- Language: English
- Format: paperback
- Release Date: May 1, 1988
- Date Published: May 1, 1988
- Author: Bruce Chatwin