This volume investigates the emergence and social function of new elite classes within the rapidly changing political and economic landscapes of tropical Africa. The authors, P.C. Lloyd and Daryll Forde, utilize a multidisciplinary approach to examine how traditional power structures intersected with colonial and post-colonial administrative systems. By analyzing shifts in education, professional status, and political influence, the text argues that these new elites served as the primary architects of modern African governance and social stratification.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the sociological shifts in mid-20th-century Africa. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the rigorous historical documentation provided by the International African Institute.