Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe's first novel, has received widespread critical acclaim since its first publication thirty years ago. It has sold over 3 million copies and has been translated into more than forty languages. No Longer at Ease, its sequel, won the Nigerian national trophy, while Arrow of God confirmed Achebe's standing as the founder of modern African fiction. These three novels, collected here in a single volume with a new introduction by the author, chronicle the story of twentieth century West Africa.'The Story is the tragedy of Okonkwo, an important man in the Obi tribe in the days when white men were first appearing on the scene. Mr Achebe handles the macabre with telling restraint and the pathetic without any false embarrassment.'THE OBSERVER