Domesticating Vigilantism in Africa picks up from Global Vigilantes (Pratten & Sen 2007) thematically and in terms of the list of contributors. The volume opens with a foreword by Ray Abrahams, a pioneer in the study of vigilantism in Africa, who wrote the afterword to the earlier text. As both volumes are products of the same series of conferences on vigilantism the link makes sense, especially as Kirsch & Grätz's book narrows our attention down to a regional focus. Furthermore, the title Domesticating Vigilantism in Africa is a reference to Suzette Heald's article ‘Domesticating Leviathan: Sungusungu groups in Tanzania’, and in this way the authors pay tribute to the shoulders on which they stand and acknowledge previous contributions to the field of study that they seek to expand and contribute to.

The editors’ fine introduction takes us through the primary discussions of vigilantism in Africa, arguing for the multiple expressions and the transformative character of vigilantism, and echoing the methodological point that there is value in understanding vigilantism as a practice in its own right. Thus, the introduction gives a focused literary overview of the field. Building on Abrahams, the authors suggest adopting a relational approach in which the connection to the state is emphasised, challenging us to consider important issues of dichotomous character such as legality vs illegality and stateness vs non-stateness. Furthermore, by using this lens the editors put notions of power and authority into play, and question the perception of the state as a unitary entity. But the main aim of the text is not to generate new conceptualisations of the paradoxical and contradictory phenomenon of vigilantism in Africa, but to illuminate regional resemblances. The volume's overall contribution is a set of engaging analyses of the way in which the relationship between specific groups and the state has changed over time.

The six contributions present a variety of vigilante actors ranging from community policing forums and hunters’ associations to ethno-religious groups. Taken together, they underline the point that the concept of vigilantism is not easily defined or reduced to a single form; but rather, it is multiple and transformative. Here the chapters by Buur and Pratten stand out, not least because both authors present solid ethnographic accounts to back up their respective arguments. Buur argues that vigilantism must be understood contextually and not in a domain of its own: neither separated from, nor opposed to, the state. And Pratten shows that vigilantism is a productive force in marking boundaries and shaping new political spaces. The other chapters engage with similar issues, and provide fine insights into how vigilantism and democratic processes intertwine (Harnischfeger & Kirsch).

Rather than attempting to provide a broad brush approach to vigilantism that claims to ‘pin down’ the concept in Africa, the authors are mainly concerned to show how local differences in organisational form, history and process illuminate the complex ways in which vigilantism unfolds across the continent. The volume gives privileged attention to West Africa, as all chapters except those by Buur and Kirsch (on South Africa) focus on this part of the continent. Given that it could be argued that the state takes on different forms across Africa, reading the volume in the light of more recent work on eastern African vigilantism is rewarding, not only to expand on the work of Ray Abrahams and Suzette Heald, but also to add sub-regional insights to their understanding of the different ways in which the state/vigilante relationship has unfolded in Africa (for further examples from southern Africa one can consult Global Vigilantes). That said, the contributions collected in Domesticating Vigilantism complement each other nicely and lay the foundations for an important debate on how to approach and understand varying and multiple notions of politics and legality.

The book avoids adopting a normative stance on vigilantism, and instead the contributions show how vigilante movements relate to state structures and other authoritative expressions of power, and how alternative forms of governance, justice and policing are ‘domesticated’ in the process. Thus, Domesticating Vigilantism represents a serious attempt to understand vigilantism on its own terms, and offers insights into how power and authority are continuously negotiated and executed in contemporary Africa.