Processes of nation-building as well as the interwoven manner of nationalism and symbolic nationalism are core issues within the social sciences. In ethnographic and historical writing these origins are interesting phenomena that have been discussed since their upcoming. The formation of states and nations go hand in hand with nationalism, and the symbolic particularities of it can be characterized as some of the most important topics within social sciences.

Harcourt Fuller's Building the Ghanaian State: Kwame Nkrumah's Symbolic Nationalism is therefore an interesting attempt of showing developments of the past and setting them into a framework of historicity and historiography. As Ghana is the first nation that gained independence from the European imperial rule, it is a core example of the incipient trend of nation-building for other African states. The study can be defined as a striking attempt to express the nation-building process of Ghana in the sphere of upcoming and gained independence from the British imperial power. In the first section of his study Fuller puts his focus especially on Kwame Nkrumah as the self-declared yet nonetheless successful founder and therefore father of the independent Ghanaian nation (pp. 56, 69, 71). Nkrumah's politics regarding representation of Ghana as the first sub-Saharan independent nation are the focal point. By showing the symbolic, political and iconographic measures that have been taken during that time, like the new currency (the Cedi), postage stamps, museums (e.g. The National Museum of Ghana and the Ghanaian Armed Forces Museum), monuments, the national anthem, emblems, Adinkra symbols, as well as flags and the coat of arms, representation stays in the centre.

Within the ten chapters of the study, Fuller drafts the political rise and downfall of Kwame Nkrumah, starting during the colonial period. As a fervent Pan-Africanist and votary of the négritude movement, Nkrumah shaped the symbols of nationhood followed by the creation of his own personal myth around himself through personalised symbols of the nation within Ghana. Alongside the presentation of Nkrumah's quarrels and fights with his advisors, colleagues as well as opponents, Fuller shows an extensive picture of the first independent sub-Saharan state leader. Additionally, the politics of the whole African continent at that time are shown together with a concrete analysis of those aforementioned developments on Nkrumah's Pan-Africanism as well as Ghanaian political actions and decisions. The impact of domestic enemies, such as the Asante and political disputants from Europe and Africa as well as current events such as the Congo Crisis, are reflected against Nkrumah's domestic and pan-African activities.

Using historical files and records from several Ghanaian archives which have never been used before, Fuller presents a comprehensive amount of new data. Presenting a timeline of Nkrumah's important dates in his life, as well as a comprehensive list of all Ghanaian Premiers from 1951 up to now, the book gives a good overlook of Nkrumah's life as well as political development in Ghana more broadly.

In sum this is an innovative and well-argued book. It provides a good analysis of Ghanaian and African historical development with a special focus on Kwame Nkrumah's attainments within his ruling period, as well as the direct aftermath in Ghana to the present and global and current representations of Nkrumah himself. This book is worth a close read regarding topics such as Pan-Africanism, the political life and downfall of Kwame Nkrumah and his use of symbolic nationalism alongside with African developments and their effects on Ghana's nationalism at the time.