Speaking with Richard Rathbone

Dr. Richard Rathbone, FRHistS, was a pioneering historian of Africa whose work had a profound impact on many, whether of his own generation or those that have succeeded it, his formal students and many who have learned from him informally. In 2021, three historians of Ghana—Jennifer Hart, Tony Yeboah, and Trevor Getz—conducted an interview with him via Zoom. Richard connected from his home in Wales, to which he had retired. We present the transcript of that conversation below, along with a biography from his friend, co-author, and colleague John Parker. The transcript was lightly edited by Richard prior to his passing on November 11, 2024, and small corrections have been made. This interview was, in many ways, Richard's last scholarly work. Jennifer Hart: We are gathered to speak with Richard Rathbone, our dear friend and senior colleague, about his experiences as a historian of Ghana over many years. And Trevor, Tony, and I represent kind of different scholarly generations that have been affected by Richard's work in different ways. And so, we are looking forward to that conversation and hearing more about his stories and getting them recorded and sharing them with a much broader group of people so everybody can kind of benefit from them. Trevor and I, at least, have heard many stories before, though they might be new to Tony, and we know how delightful they are. So, we are looking forward to it. Richard, do you want to introduce yourself? How would you like to introduce yourself today?Richard: I am a retired historian of Africa who sits and reads the wonderful work that have been done and enjoys enormously seeing new horizons and ideas I would never have found. It's exciting that ours is a living field, and it has been a privilege to have been part of its development.Trevor: Well, I know we are going to go back to the living field part of it in a little bit, but let's go, let's use the wayback machine to go a young Richard getting to Ghana. We want know the story because you actually came to Ghana quite young when . . . well, before I was born, frankly.Richard: Just to make me feel a little oldTrevor: Sorry about that. Can you tell us a story about coming to Ghana?Richard: It's a short story. I was a lousy school student partly because of growing up in a dysfunctional family. By my teens I had no idea of who I was or I to and I at it. I on the and I a in and up a at in I heard about new in at the and and that to This the people in but to at the from the as it And it was by the of the of that of and John was a I but never its it was The of students who at the of Ghana at And so I as a to Ghana as an to And it was a of my which I was a Just about and I that of my with of and new So, you me more And Richard a little So, was it like at that I you know was a in was was, as you as a part of the as an part of the was it like to be part of are of the that you that . . . I part of the I came to work with Richard, was because and was it that you in the are you I was an and Africa I the of more I I was at school in at the was its a was in and of was in as much more the of a in which at like work or the of historians and and my in the of like and of Africa was no a The was to my as as my and as a student I was to the of I had so much from my in Ghana about whose and so different from the of of I in with the of And the I from my in my but my my the people I about the people I back in before the in learned so by had from the of the and be about but the had much had the student of my going and the and the of the people in like and and And the the of them was quite and quite it but different of people with different of from of I learned a and learned a about of Ghana from least, I to the I and because of the of people on on many and to a of stories on I was to by on the of the and in the of be by who getting This was an exciting was no was a on the the along the Ghana was exciting in the I had a to you are Well, I you is about how . . . to do you that of living on the you about So, the kind of and experiences that you had with about the story that you are about is that I of us have kind of story about and how that kind of you in a you about but I you a at a or on The had a profound impact me the of that to to the In those the was a by the on a at and is a but it the the and the was or or those in many of the but a in Ghana to be in I would In of the the of scholarly was the of the the of The was as in to be of and in the Ghana was a wonderful you go over the a it a you to know a of you to know and the that they and people so and would me up the So, I a of on and so I a from that about I and about in and about had of you about the of and own and and so and I was by the of that from the and it has been a in of a tell me I am in and that are a more you as it The part that I was about was, you it is like to be a a I have heard you speak about to the and at that I you that and is it like to be a and and a student at that and how that Ghana at that was was a new of new experiences and I by and the of was when I people in or that been living in I Ghana was as a a of by own of the of a new Ghana was of and with in the its in the its and the Ghana a I has been a And it me with my the me in an which the of new its own and many of those Ghana of the of in the of and me to work on the of the of in Ghana and I in my but of that the of in the to my edited of to my that me to a of in the in I that the of and on the to with to be By and by the of was no by the me that at the but it was no The the of the it to be a and who would the of the was of at the had about of that was an and that had much I was in of by a and I and my came to and whose I and whose I This from a me to a biography of the last of the a which I was young to have to a before about the of And the of the work him in a of it in the he an of the would have and never my in the the This him me to my at in my of his in my to was quite the of Africa in and from to more I never his of of to so many of those I was in school with work on I many of us have his to to the me back to of my was to and how was I was an and up from of to work in the by at or a on the to like or up I I can that the on the a of the in which be in in a the because been a of had no and in I came to my the work of me that is the of So, I know Tony to a kind of before we we I want to know about historians as I you with with with was that was the The was the by those by the of The of Ghana had as a of that as had of the in from to a up by a of more and a by a it was a by the of the Africa and Ghana the and the historian of whose was a in the of who a friend, was on that but John a in his of students to of home and of at at but a an historian to his I to him in his at he me a about about the of like and the use of like and had a impact on me and it is a of that would us so little of his and was of my And I was to be in a in with the was home to the and on the and the that you had a at the a it was a I am going to Tony, do you have a I was going to a different of of and the was I have to because of that have me before I do know that on with the I many you of And how was Ghana and we do know that in people by his I you would have had the to a like his was about I do had of that had but to the of who and Ghana of the of his in Ghana. The and of John and and in to be the more work of and the of The I the which and the had so of my work was on which me about the to be of the and I am to be a but I was and am in how much had on the on on the who the but we so much about how the or And it was the Ghana the the of in which that of the formal it a to own I am that the when those are more the And in Ghana in the and the of the tell with the has us with an of a and do to the of in Ghana. And as it the that to have been And on that we have the wonderful of the are and to those I I have I was the of the on on and of and is about those The of the in is And the people who me to by that and dear friend, and are So, Tony came to you and the I came to you and in Ghana. I was in before I you and that was the that I that is to was the that me want to work in Ghana. know it was the Well, a you about when you about is actually . . . I it is the of you to in that a of the but a a of many different of I want to know it was like to and in Ghana. I I I know had been before he was a of work is in the much at a I its was a you because of its as of the of to the an I it with the the in it was an the of it that I had to work on was to an It's more that living in Wales, a which has been has me as the I the is about the of the about an I it an because the I to was when he of when I was I was an we about the can tell how I was when I him about how it was that they about and it was in of a and that was and with the I the to but he was from to small to a of and that was a in the of the a but the of and And how it was that a which might or might have in the in and And as it a of which me about the and we or as In the I but came to a an over to which came to And I of with a of the a The which is partly about the and whose on my I from that about the that a and that never I that of that was historians have a of the in and I was by the work of his use of to of the of is and is I a of and as I on of the in was to at the of the of The of the wonderful I was and am in the that us with the to And that kind of us to our with three or a to getting which I I in my of formal which with much about my with of the in the a I to my at the of work on the in the we work the or work on and This is a of a so a And I want to by of a know whether it was or but was quite on my in and how the to do a in many was looking at a to you in that the had I I actually was that as Richard was how it is to and work that Richard, that me back to my I was about which is you know you and I have quite a about it to about and how or that have an that have been of is like you to that and how it is on the and how you that I you a little about about the of in about and how you feel that you had to was that I have had much of a in Ghana to work which of to the are of of of of he in Ghana. And is in work on of the of and are as in the of like and In of I was by the of and the I it to be in Ghana and was to have it as an in Ghana. was to be at a whose as in Ghana. was a in but and never it as the to with and I never the I be when I that the story of Ghana is by the much of the is or at to be a to the which in the of that is of of Ghana. It's a work of but the of so many of those is to by as is is a I of and as of you like or or which in and from over And no more from those was of and whose was of a different as and make in know more about more about the them which a which or you want to you might have to Tony is done with his I am looking forward to that because that kind of the of a I that is so much more exciting its own is and about and do we about its its its a or The that Ghana a or of that I a people have been to in part because of the of so much of and to the that we have with it We are by we The of those which in which with the is it its the as they are are I the I when to an who the of the in the and that of that by and it of the the of the many of those by in with and the of of and and his me the of the The that with the is as as it is more a and it and the and of about and about was because it was a of about do and as it had a to with the of before the of when is by the Just by the I that the historian three of you have historian and an I know Tony had a about the in from Africa the in which you and Tony, do you want to that I a by at a of the in and it was by the of And he and he a from a about the in and when I been back in Ghana a and have had conversation with at of the people I have with are a about the in Ghana and Africa And they do by with we had in the or the like of them they like and And so, I that in they the and of that in the so from the to in on the you that in the and of we on the was I am that you are and over and over The about in the I my in was a small a students from of the on of many of them are but I with and who the of in of And I about of and and in in and of in the And the up and like the historian of the who with was my colleague many years. a was a by like a a to that the of Africa would be to be the of and of and in and of me to to know of the when I was a was about John or my over the of that as a young was and our which us that an an which quite in with been about that by in my a a which be because of do we is and work is a wonderful of how we might but an in of in the of like the of the of the or the of and I to of the in the of a we and in Africa we with how to and in and We of that with was and we came to the in a on the of the in Africa whose we in a of the our who us was whose in and along with a of work which me the to to at but in it I I am about work that me to and they in more is no to the in which that might be I that and are in its is an of the of that kind of and and I to in that had which the of and had in with the a in Ghana who a about its I have so much from looking and the that to be as my of a the that the of has my young in in the was a of in a new I people who to on but I more who or Ghana in the and the its has is a of on the and of and and and so is a and I to has is about the in which has How has the to be in Richard, I we would be we about you the that you many and of on to work at and and who have done can you tell us about that part of the you the generation of was the of the I I more on the but of those who I to is a them. student with I over the three and of our me a me the of of Africa about which I me to which I had they of over be but of my to have the of but as which have the I the of with a with a of and with a and a retired of the Africa a We by them and of those who with me who work on in the of with who me of work. was a And that of was by the the of its kind and whose We to by and This was a was from the the of the I have been on in which to the of our was but to about and work which with was so the of that I so much about that of that of the of I was to the a I on a I that I had a at the of and as my in that I was by a in at the of I over a that my was and he I would work The of in Ghana was an it had the last on in the but the in the and Ghana The work me to a of in a which whose was the when many of the of the I a of to and I up in as an in of about the with small We had a of and I my at that the of the the is a with a new generation of students who have with no I was three on I was an and on And so it was work but me to be and I a of in Africa and the and I was a many many new a of a of edited but no of the and I to a on Africa in a on the of We over it might a in a and up in the small in a The was never more over and over was and I a like my it was by on part of me exciting with living like and little I on me a at to of the I have a but an exciting in which work was at last by like and many a which had on a with and that because of my his of the of on the I that might to be when an I know that I much and In I that I had in as in edited in people that of you has my on the of in the edited by and How the was I am of that it I I would that and so on is is the that And it in that with the of by and can be on a that in we I with about work of the of and the of interview it me to that I want to my Richard, you know a was to a who like a and who you in when you to be and . . about are was a in my Well, you me and I can in the that I I you I can go on it was I Jennifer can to impact on of those as I was about to of the that is to me and that I to a is the to which you in and of I has been you at the of the you to with you know up in the and via and been kind to my work. And I know many people who would the you have a conversation with the that you have in a and a in and that has an impact of people and had a of I you a little about Well, of I work because I like and work when and go and it and so an was to me as a and to to the idea of is going on in a was The to me was in an from the of I I of people who And I partly because I have that kind of of the I was, I the or historian of Africa to be the of the And the and the historian of Africa to be to be the of the because I I was in that of people over and about and so And we on and it was I I had a of it but it was looking of the in a of is that me to The last I was a on and in a I people are retired are in of and those that would the on those of you who are Well, an as from senior is an And I you have a different kind of a of in the field and with the but a different kind of it to be a you a little in many the field, on the and the So, you know it is a and it be done Richard, in the at looking are you the of the of that you that It's the in the field of over the years. In its it was a the was my work. the of the that a field of which the have the use of a of much more and of of of like and so with and was of those to use the and of that The of historians of Africa as is more it was but it is that was the to the and up the which the the of the of of and a of would but that the of and so been that and the the of as we home in the How do we a an of the which by but in many different from of how it the to an about an I was when an was to the of the and to its because I was, as it the By the of the historians of Africa to be in of by historians on part of the of a and to an and friend as as the of a about that I am I the of as a The small of the on and was when I the was by the that me a to be by and the of And the is that when you about I want students to that are Well, has been I know Tony and Jennifer have that they want to in the recorded I had which I when you and I had a conversation about in the is a you them and me looking at them in And I am in kind of the and the of and in us to actually And I you a but you know I do is and I you to a little on it to have in the that much but the been And you have to that and you from that as Ghana is from the I as an The was by with like to the of you a of the of the you and By the my my from the back to kind had me his the at the which to the the I my along the I on or that to the the a of us or of the and to the to We back on the with we a in was a of I was a at the with and We heard a an up with at the who us the was a because the to as he Ghana the last By it was And of it In the on a and a in the a had its it was a in but in The of I had so much as an and was in many and with him an which was of of and I with and the of a with who me about the of the an like a the the of a which his last in and conversation with in the was by the who that the a and to in a a of and The and was but it was so the it was more many of the me because he and I had about and was to be the of let's be the of the And it was in the to a of people which me of the by of the of of at of on November 11, at the of had at the the of the and Richard was in Rathbone, a and was in his and Richard of how his had was in at and from he was to on at the of and was that which Richard to of his at the of Ghana at he in and in the and of Ghana the of This was a in Richard's a of as as the of a to the broader of he the of at the of in in to the of in the of his in Richard was to the new of in the of Africa at in at and at he would his many Richard with and by the from that the the of many of and in with of by short and to and as a historian of Richard to and he to a of and in Africa with and Africa and the with was from the that Richard to on in to work on the in of a in the of the of the of the of This in his and in Ghana with he was on Ghana the on the of which was in in and the The of in and edited in By that Richard's as the on the of Ghana in the and was a in and they had in and much in Richard and to his in he the of at the of he to students and to to with the that he over the at to with John in in the it be with that Richard be he in the when it was the the of and from the was of the of which that pioneering was a wonderful an a and a with a profound Ghana and its The impact of that and was in the Richard's when from a new generation of young historians the passing of a and John