The Fate of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence
By:
Martin Meredith
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Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Description:
Fifty years ago, as Europe's colonial powers withdrew, Africa moved with enormous hope and fervor toward democracy and economic independence. Today, most African countries are effectively bankrupt, prone to civil strife, subject to dictatorial rule, weighed down by debt, and heavily dependent on Western assistance for survival. What went wrong? Focusing on the key personalities, events and themes of the independence era, Martin Meredith's magisterial history seeks to explore and explain the myriad problems that Africa has faced in the past half-century, and faces still. Acclaimed by reviewers and readers from across the political spectrum, The Fate of Africa is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how it came to this - and what, if anything, is to be done.
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Comprehensive History of Post-Colonial Africa. - Being a Historian with an emphasis in African history I have read many books on the subject but, "The Fate of Africa" has been the most impressive and comprehensive of them all. Meredith has a clear command of the subject and despite all my studies in African history I learned some new things through him. Often history books can be rather dry and hard to read but Meredith writes in away that brings the history to life to where it almost reads like a novel. He includes little cultural and personal tidbits about the subject that spice up the book so that it doesn't bog down too much in all the dates and facts to the point where you want to stop reading. It is a good read and I never found myself bored with the book at anytime. I highly recommend this book to teachers looking for a comprehensive history book on post-colonial African history. That said it is a wonderfully accessible book for anyone interested in the subject. My only disappointment with this book is that there isn't another one written by the author about the colonial and pre-colonial era. Let's hope he writes that book.
Customer Review: 5 out of 5
A thorough and compelling survey of post-Colonial Africa - Anyone clinging to the notion that Africa's current ills are primarily the legacy of Western colonialism needs to read this book ASAP.
From Ghana, where the post-colonial era began mid-century, to Zimbabwe (currently circling the drain with 200 million per cent inflation), a narrative has played out over and over that points to a different culprit.
Meredith tracks the advent of independent governance in one African nation after another and somehow keeps things from collapsing into a blur of identically disastrous rulers and one-size-fits-all mayhem after their inevitable President-for-Life declarations.
In a sense this is a disturbing book, as it makes you wonder if Africa's problems might not be permanently intractable. I for one prefer this sort of unbiased catalog of events over "We Are the World" sentimentality or rheteoric from agenda-driven dissemblers like Jeffrey Sachs. You know the drill: whatever the problem, America is either the prime causal agent or at best a callously indifferent bystander.
This book fundamentally changed my outlook. I grew up with a romanticized notion of Africa informed by little more than Edgar Rice Burroughs and Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. The romantic view is gone but I am as fascinated as ever by Africa, and I still hope to visit.
In the meantime, I've read a handful of related books of widely varying scope. "When a Crocodile Eats the Sun," "Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight," "Dark Star Safari," "King Leopold's Ghost," "Blood River,"
"Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone;" all of these were compelling to one degree or another. But "The Fate of Africa" is just about indispensable, and it's at least as entertaining as the more personal accounts I just mentioned.
Buy this book if you care at all for the topic. If nothing else, you'll be able to hold your own in cocktail party debates on the relative hideousness of Bokassa versus Nguema versus Amin, to name just a few notables on the nightmare continuum of African Big Men.
Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Instant classic - It is understandably difficult to write a one-volume history of a continent as diverse as Africa. Nonetheless, I think Mr. Meredith has written a fine example. In the process, he avoids the pitfalls commited by many Third Worldist ideologists who paternalize Africa and place the majority of the blame for its current state on external actors. Although Cold War rivalries certainly played a part, the reality, as Mr. Meredith ably documents, is that the continent's problems since independence have been first and foremost an indigenous leadership class often displaying stunning incompetence, greed, and bloodthirstyness.
Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Amazing Book - This is by far one of the best books I have ever read on African politics. It is the perfect book for someone who is starting to learn about African politics, wants to improve their knowledge, or just wants to learn about African history. This is a passionate, well-written book that I strongly recommend reading-you will not be sorry you did.
Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Africa - A compendium of African history from the partition to present day. If you are interested in knowing about African leadership and economic issues - this is the book.
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