Shonibare died in 1964 at the age of 44 and has been poorly served by history and historians and the reason may well be that by the time he died, recently freed from detention where his high blood pressure had been exacerbated and led to kidney failure, three had been a difference of opinion between him and his party leader, Awolowo.

This book is important then in telling his own story, in highlighting his contributions to the Action Group and Nigerian politics, in tracing his ancestry and provenance, in recognizing his vision and intuition, his business acumen and international connections, his uncommon generosity and humane spirit.

Shonibare lived with an eye on the compass and not on the clock. His was a short life when measured in years but it was long on achievements. A newspaperman, who understood what news meant and how history is shaped by current events, he had an eye on history but history seemed intent on passing him by, until now. Cheif Samuel Olatunbosun Shonibare was a meteoric icon whose amazing and stupendous accomplishments within a short span of 44 years made him a legend of all time