James Olney, an American scholar on autobiographies, points out that “what is autobiography to one observer is history or philosophy, psychology or lyric poetry, sociology or metaphysics, to another.” Many psychoanalysts, on the other hand, claim that writing an autobiography is an attempt to re-construct the self; in other words, it's a catharsis to alleviate inner conflicts, by taking control over the interpretation of the drama in the author's life. Both Olney and psychoanalysts seem to be right in their characterisation of autobiographies, as amply manifested in Sir Dawda's narration, interpretations, and explications of his education and professional career, his political rise, his presidency for three decades, his ouster from power, his days in exile, and finally his return to The Gambia.