Simon & Schuster The State of Africa: A History of the Continent Since Independence

Fantastic Covers all the relavent countries Explains why Africa is such a mess Its of the Africans own doing

Well written and informative. A must have!

I think this is one of the most interesting books I have been reading recently. In a smart and easy following style of writing the author summarizes the modern history of the states of Africa after the 1940s. Of course a book of ca. 700 pages is not enough to deeply describe the fates of the myriads of the peoples of Africa, but it provides with an almost accurate and until a certain point objective picture of the late history of the continent. The book starts with the movements for independence in Ghana subsequently followed by a domino effect that brought to the independence of many West and Central African countries. It offers an overview of the inner conflicts arising in the new independents states and how often inner conflicts of power placed Africa in the middle way wrapped as a sausage in the bun of the Cold war. In general, I find that the majority of the chapters display events presented pretty objectively but this objectiveness doesn't stand all the way especially on the supposedly "evil" role of the USSR in the conflicts in Mozambique, Ethiopia, Congo and other similar cases and his depiction of Patrice Lumumba. The book goes through depicting rise and fall from power of leaders and dictators starting from Algeria end ending to South Africa. (i)The Algerian Civil War, (ii) the famine crisis in Wollo (Ethiopia) in the 80's ,(iii) the uniquely self annihilation of an oppressive regime in the Equatorial Guinea which reached to the point of closing universities and keeping only a basic level of education due to the deep hatred the local dictator had for intellectuals, (iv)the unspeakable rich and extravagant lives of Mobutu, Mugabe, Bokassa, Amin, (v) the inspiring effort to freedom in Ghana, (vi) the Islamist threat in northern Africa, (vii) the relations with former colonial rulers, (viii) the involvement of many supper powers during the cold war, (ix) the Hutu-Tutsi conflict in Rwanda and Burundi, and the (x) movement to freed from apartheid are some major breathtaking topics touched. This book gives you the opportunity to get a glimpse of what is maybe still the most unknown continent of all: Africa!!

À lire comme une introduction (très détaillée) à une facette de l'histoire africaine. Un livre très étoffé et riche de sources (à se perdre des heures en partant d'une note de bas de page). Un vrai plaisir à lire. Un ouvrage d'une grande rigueur historique et surprenant d'objectivité.

Modern history of Africa

Repaso magnífico de la historia de Africa. Aporta una gran cantidad de datos que en ocasiones pueden interrumpir la fluidez de la lectura pero es un libro como ningún otro sobre esta materia. Lo recomendaría para aquellas personas que estén empezando a conocer la historia del continente africano, pero que ya dispongan de una breve noción anterior.