Queen an Empire Could Not Tame

In 1622, Njinga went to Luanda as her brother's envoy. Portugal's growing power depended on African alliances, inland strongholds and the trade in enslaved people. Diplomacy offered her a place in that world without settling who would command Ndongo—or who would remain free.This concise biography follows her contested succession, defeats and escape, the conquest of Matamba, and the Dutch alliance ...