In a previous message I gave you some info re books relevant to philately in Africa.
On looking through what I sent you I find one, to me anyway, glaring omission.
Naval Intelligence division Geographical handbook series BR515 French Equatorial Africa in two volumes.
These have proved of great help for me, dealing with history, geography, communications, administration etc.
Published in 1942 they should be found in second hand bookshops without too much difficulty.
In the same series they have published studies on French West Africa, covering all the countries in the Federation, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.
The "Peace" handbooks prepared for the direction of the historicsal section of the Foreign Office (UK) also contains useful info and an excellent map. Harder to find, I think. They have separate works for AEF and AOF.
Madagascar is harder and I have found the works of Desnos and Favrel published through the French Col.Fra society are also very well worth having, dealing with both stamps and postal history.
The general government in Madagascar also priduced an occasional "Guide Annuaire". I am not sure whether these were published annually and the only one I have been offered was 1912. Very useful book. The AOF published similar works but at intervals. these are very useful but really hard to find and expensive.
I study French West Africa, Algerian Sahara and Reunion and my library focuses on these. If I can be of any further help let me know
Regards
Peter