This selection of writings by Yusufu Bala Usman spans the years of his engagement as a leading Nigerian historian, political activist and public intellectual. (1972-2005) They demonstrate his belief that the historian has an obligation to utilise the tools of historical analysis and bring them to bear on the major issues of the times in order to proffer solutions to contemporary problems, without regard to traditional disciplinary boundaries. These writings illustrate a number of important themes that underlie Usman's work. These include: the nature of political communities, how they develop and how they evolve through the migration and mingling of peoples and the creation of new social relations; the nature of the economic crisis facing Nigeria as a dependent neo-colonial society, its causes and solutions; the role of historiographical materials in the search for the nature of present-day society; the nature and meaning of political power and the necessity of political participation by all members of society. Through the examination of these issues, Usman clearly demonstrates his commitment to exposing their underlying nature and penetrating the smokescreen of false beliefs and narratives which are standing in the way of progress for the peoples of Nigeria and Africa as a whole.