My First Coup d'Etat: And Other True Stories from the Lost Decades of Africa

by John Dramani Mahama

My First Coup d'Etat chronicles the coming-of-age of John Dramani Mahama in Ghana during the dismal post-independence "lost decades" of Africa. He was seven years old when rumors of a coup reached his boarding school in Accra. His father, a minister of state, was suddenly missing, then imprisoned for more than a year.

My First Coup d'Etat offers a look at the country that has long been considered Africa's success story. This is a one-of-a-kind book: Mahama's is a rare literary voice from a political leader, and his personal stories work on many levels - as fables, as history, as cultural and political analyses, and, of course, as the memoir of a young man who, unbeknownst to him or anyone else, would grow up to be vice president of his nation. Though nonfiction, these are stories that rise above their specific settings and transport the reader - much like the fiction of Isaac Bashevis Singer and Nadine Gordimer - into a world all their own, one which straddles a time lost and explores the universal human emotions of love, fear, faith, despair, loss, longing, and hope despite all else.

Genres: Africa, Nonfiction, Ghana, History, Memoir, Biography, Autobiography

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

John Dramani Mahama is a Ghanaian politician who served as President of Ghana from 24 July 2012 to 7 January 2017. He previously served as Vice President of Ghana from 2009 to 2012, and took office as President on 24 July 2012 following the death of his predecessor, John Atta Mills. A communication expert, historian, and writer, Mahama was a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2009 and Minister of Communications from 1998 to 2001. He is a member of the National Democratic Congress.

Mahama is the first vice president to have ascended to the presidency due to the death of his predecessor, John Atta Mills. He was elected to serve a full term as President in the December 2012 election. He ran for re-election to a second full term in the 2016 election, but was defeated in the first round by New Patriotic Party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, whom he had defeated four years prior. This makes him the first president in the history of Ghana to not have won a second term.

Reviews

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished the book today and found that it really is an amazing book. As an adult, the author found that he really could express himself in writing and now in his 50s he has written his first book. It is a compilation of stories of his life that show his formation. His early childhood was part of an upper-middle class Ghanan family (with a father as a public servant) until his first coup d'etat when he was six. His life also parallels the development of the independent country of Ghana, from just before the author's birth. It is an easy read but also one that should be read carefully and thoughtfully.

The last chapter resolves a lot of the conflicts in his life as he was growing up. After returning to Ghana when he was close to 30 after a two-year graduate program in the USSR, Mahama came to understand that, "everything exists as a continuation of something else. That first coup d'etat was an indeclinable part of my history, linked to all that had happened before and all that had happened afterward. Trying to erase it from my life would be akin to pulling at a loose thread or an intricately woven piece of clothing; the entire thing would unravel." Such a summation is a good point for all of us.

[Jerome Kuseh · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Mahama never got over the trauma of finding out that his father had been detained by soldiers after the coup of 1966. As a 7-year old boarding student at Achimota, it took the intervention of a matron to get him to his elder sister and her husband. This early experience with the claustrophobic fear of being ruled through the barrel of a gun shaped Mahama's views of the "lost decades of Africa" and the leaders who contributed to the debacle.

My First Coup d'Etat is very much a personal autobiography about a young Dramani. Readers seeking a treatise on governance or ideology would be left disappointed, those seeking to understand his rise in politics would be doubly disappointed. But if you put that aside you will enjoy a beautiful story about a boy growing to become a man in a nation that was in turbulence, all the while being personally connected to the turbulence through a father that was a minister under Nkrumah, a detainee under the NLC, a friend and later a foe of Acheampong, an official in Limann's government, and eventually a refugee under the PNDC.

We get several stories about growing up in Accra, Bole, Damongo, and Tamale with a family of 19 children. We get stories about boarding school, the night life, and university. We get a glimpse of the stark difference between urban and rural life in Ghana. We get a glimpse of language, culture, religion and how they were all being moulded by the struggle between tradition and colonization.

As far as political ideology, we are told of Mahama's internal struggles with socialism because he could never quite reconcile the oppressive capitalist in Marxist literature with his capitalist father who he adored. He was further disillusioned by his time in the USSR in the mid-80s when the union was barrelling towards collapse on the back of Gorbachev's reforms. The picture we get is of the typical Ghanaian leader of the 4th Republic who eschews ideology and believes politics is about what can be proven to work in improving the lives of people. And that perhaps explains how he ended up on Rawlings' party despite his implied opposition to the military brutality that accompanied the PNDC regime. Because of Rawlings' influence on developing non-ideological politics (as contrasted by Nkrumah's market socialism and Busia's market liberalism).

The biggest drawback to the book is how little attention is paid to narrating the histories of the different regimes, or an analysis of their motivation, policies and so on. But I think I've already made it clear that this book is about John Mahama the (young) man and not John Mahama the politician.

Overall a solid, enjoyable read.

[Melitta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Autobiography by the newly elected president of Ghana. This book looks like it was written in a series of chapters about the first 20-30 years of the author's life. Each chapter represents a different event, or period in his life, and as such there is some repetition, since some people appear in more than one chapter, but it is written as if we have not already been introduced to them. I think some tighter editing would have helped.

Having said that, this book gives a clear picture of life in Ghana in the 60's, 70's and 80's, a time of transition in much of West Africa. Through the stories we are given a view of old traditions, of the geography and tribal affiliations, of hierarchy and political divisions. Many autobiographies of this type are written by people who have grown up poor, and despite hardships, have prevailed. This is not like that, since it is the story of a boy with a educated father who can afford to send his many children to school, and who have drivers, and better homes than most.

Mahama is clearly very intelligent, and the book is spoiled somewhat by his own arrogance. However, it is redeemed by his excellent knowledge and clear descriptions of Africa's problems (especially the dictators and despots), and also his descriptions of traditions which even as he was growing up were being eclipsed by modernity.

[briz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written by the current Ghanaian President, My First Coup d'Etat is a far-reaching and interesting memoir of life in post-colonial Ghana. It follows Mahama from the day he learns his father, a Member of Parliament, has been ousted following the 1966 coup, which removed Ghana's first President, Kwame Nkrumah, from government.

The book then follows a meandering, indirect path through Mahama's life and musings: we learn both of his political maturation, his family history in the north of the country, and the life and culture of a fast-developing, fast-Westernizing Ghana. Mahama's attitudes towards this change, and this tension between tradition and modernity, are somewhat nebulous: he implies a healthy skepticism regarding religion and its uses; he describes his affair with socialism in relatively muted terms; and, while describing the later coups in Ghana's history, he refrains from pointing fingers. This makes sense, given his current position. And, honestly, the book doesn't suffer much from this lack of big opinions, it's still a pretty good read.

[Kamran Sehgal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't yet come across an African memoir that has not interested me immensely. Following the author's life through post-independence Ghana this gives some first-hand accounts of the devastating coups that occurred in Ghana's history. Other highlights include jaunts in Nigeria and the USSR and examples of how Ghanaian culture has changed through the years to be unrecognisable.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is the current President of Ghana, often considered Africa's success story. Born just after independence into a prominent family, his story is closely interwoven with Ghana's story. This is his first book and it is written with an understated sensitivity and simplicity that brings Ghana to life. Based on this autobiography and his biography on Wikipedia I would say that This is definitely someone I admire and would like to have as a friend.

[molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, it was just okay. Lots of interesting events have happened in the author's life and yet this book was often boring. There was just very little emotion expressed. So the events, while seemingly fascinating, were rendered tedious by such a clinical telling. Some parts were better than others. Overall, I liked it alright.

[Neha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating for someone who didn't know much about Ghanaian history. Non fiction written in a very pleasant, down to earth and personal voice, it is impossible not to like this book. Some parts, especially where H.E. Mahama talks about his hopes for the future are particularly overwhelming. I hope his next book is out, I'd love to read it!

[​ʏᴏʜᴀɴɴᴇs]

I’m grateful for writing that offers insight on Ghana post-colonialism. It was fascinating to read about Mahama and how he and his family came to be, much as I think it would be fascinating to read about many people’s lives (during the coups that occurred in Ghana). Most of the recollections were educative and well told. However, there were portions that felt like filler episodes. A good debut.

[Nathalie Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best non fiction books I’ve ever read, a great way to discover bits and pieces of Ghana’s history. And get to know Manama - I would have thought he would have made a better president having read that!

[Rawad Basma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read many autobiographies, so maybe all of them do a good job of painting the author in a good light. However I don’t think John Mahama was on any sort of high horse at all writing this. He doesn’t paint himself as any sort of genius or savior (important considering he’s held every level of public office in Ghana). He intertwines the story of his life as well as the story of Ghana in such a fascinating way. Being here in Ghana while I finished this book obviously made it that much more enjoyable as I got to witness the political outcomes of the events he describes as well as many of the cultural aspects of Ghana as well. I feel as if he couldn’t have been more objective in his Portrayal of the country as well as himself. It almost feels like John Dramami Mahama is my friend/fatherly figure now. As many of his stories invoking coups and civil unrest have a similar ring as the stories my dad tells me about his time in civil war/Israeli invasion of Lebanon. There’s something universally unique about people who go through such immense trauma but still love their country dearly, as well as receiving a vast education. I guess that’s why he reminds me so much of my dad. On top of this Mahama talks about how writing became his outlet for all of the feelings he couldn’t release or articulate as a child due to the trauma he faced, and once again this has similar rings to my dad who has become an accomplished “amateur” writer himself. Beyond the sentimental connection I feel to John Mahama, I truly believe this is just a good book filled with so many lessons and take aways, whether it be personal, historical, or political. In many ways I’m sad I can’t read more about his story, and although I would never endorse a political candidate without better understanding his platform, I can really only wish the best of luck to John Mahama in this upcoming election. I hope his actions in office emulate his humility and perspective he showcased in this book. Even if West Africa/ pan africansm struggles don’t fully interest you (they should), I think this book is a great read for anybody!

[Chip · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very engaging and the structure of mixing two different stories in each chapter kept it at a nice pace. It's extremely interesting (and somewhat sad) that social issues that affected Ghana during the "lost years" are the same as here in the U.S., specifically the hatred & violence towards people of other nationalities coming to live and work here.
Chapters on nature, religion (like how he got the name John), family & culture, politics & different African countries also make this an interesting read.

"with each visit to Damongo came a lesson, an education that could be gained only in a place where nature's welcomes and warnings are almost indistinguishable and you can tell the difference only by allowing the sounds of your breath and the beats of your heart to align themselves with the innate rhythms of the world around you."

"I was starting to get a sense of the power that religion and spirituality had over people and how others could so easily use it to encourage trust and devotion or to control and engender fear."

[Jeanine Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

My First Coup d’Etat is a memoir for our time...for those of us who lived through Africa’s turbulent 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. John Dramani Mahama captures the highs and lows of Ghana as a nation in Africa; and Ghana as home to Africans.

He wrote of the coup that... “It is a moment that serves as the line of demarcation, separating the certainty of what was from the uncertainty of what lies ahead. It is a moment in which you suddenly become aware of who you are; you become aware of the fragility and unpredictability of the world in which you live.”

These words can only be written by someone who lived through a coup and the sheer disruption it brings to people’s lives. Thankfully those days are past for many nations in Africa but Dramani Mahama’s book takes us carefully through his daily life as it was being shaped by the political events in Ghana and around Ghana. Mahama’s frank prose makes the book easy to read even as he treats weighty and painful subjects.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Nowadays so much of the information about Africa that reaches the rest of the world is negative, and it places our continent in an unflattering and almost irredeemable light. As a resident African, and a political leader of an African nation, I am saddened by this, because however “factual” the information, it’s never the entire truth. Headlines are made of isolated, often aberrational, events. Statistical data are usually presented without context or explanation. There are a million stories that can fill all the blank spaces of what has been left unspoken and unwritten, stories that will shift your perceptions and challenge your prejudices.”


This book contains such stories. I read it after traveling throughout Ghana for three weeks.

[Julianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although a bit self-congratulatory at times, as many autobiographies tend to be, this book balanced the line between memoir and historical non-fiction so well. I found myself eager to finish every chapter, but also savouring each one, as they all offered a new perspective on the complex and interconnecting events of Ghana’s history.

Temporarily living in tamale has given me an even greater appreciation for how John Dramani Mahama can paint a rich picture of life in Ghana during the lost-years for both those who have never stepped foot on the continent in their lives but also Ghanaians who are all too familiar with those difficult times.

Really enjoyed this read :)

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so well written. I learned so much about the Mahama family, and then he connected those learnings with the broader state of affairs and history within Ghana. Felt like I could enter the country with a working knowledge of a number of things, which I appreciated so much. Interesting to see the result of the elections in 2020 as well. Reading about the situation with his dad during the first coup d’etat and then seeing him make the choice to run for office himself was a bit mind bending to me, but it makes sense in the way he tells it.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible story.

This book vividly describes life in Ghana through the eyes of a young Mahama from the 60s through to adulthood in the 90s. Covering the change and turmoil of the "lost decades" at the time.

Mahama's storytelling gives brilliant insight, not only into the political change and turbulence at the time but also daily life in Ghana.

Some parts had me laughing out loud and others glued to the page.

A must read for anyone interested in learning about post colonialism in West Africa. Mahama gives a unique perspective spanning Tamale to Accra.

[René · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author served as President of Ghana from 24 July 2012 to 7 January 2017. This book, written before his rise to the presidency, gives a great overview of life in Ghana before independance, during the upheavals of military coups, in an engaging and lively manner.

"Every decision we make is a whispered "Anaa?". There is always a hint of doubt, the question of whether what we have said so confidently, whether to ourselves or to others, is really right."

[Ben Slivka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of his first 30 years only

I enjoyed learning about his extended family, his schooling, the challenges his father faced through many coups, and his evolving personal philosophy. But I was hoping to learn what happened to Alice, what his work was, how he entered politics, and more. Mahama was 53 when he published this book. So much happened to him after 1988. I guess I wait for his next memoir.

[Omondi Alila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book super informative about government systems in Africa between 1980-2000 but I also found the words that Mahama used unnecessarily difficult tbh (I really used the dictionary lol). But hey I learned new words.

Essential book if you want to understand coup d'etats, government systems, power from someone who was on the inside. Mahama would eventually become President.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

John was 7yrs old when a military coup took over the government and his father was imprisoned. While his father was released more than a year later, it had an effect on John. This memoir recounts his years growing up and finding his own political voice as the country goes through multiple coups affecting the economy and life in general.
An interesting read not only for the impact on lives but just for general history of the country.

[Lucas Proto · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, although somewhat lacking in passion and eloquency, memoir from John Dramani Mahama, ex President of Ghana.

[Goh Jiayin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everybody has a story. And his is the first story I've read about Africa. Simply love it and thank you for sharing.

[Suzette Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing tale about the struggles of a young nation. Loved it!

[Peter Amegah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Authentic. Great stories and memories, and many lessons to learn.

[Oswald Azumah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it for my BA English class in final year in University and this book is not lacking in any assessment metric. It should be read by every young Ghanaian.

[Avery Johns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this before studying abroad in Ghana! Very informative and written well to combine politics and places in Ghana with his personal life and stories

[Clivemichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well articulated and fascinating memoir.

[Harriet Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a great read!

I loved this account of life in Ghana from an insider—and now President for the second time. I’m a fan of Ghana!

[Teresa Ngo · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 - great view into life in Ghana but no major plot or key lesson