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The State of Africa
Author - Martin Meredith
ISBN - 978-0743232227
Format - Paperback
Price - GH¢19.50
Available at Spintex |
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| Synopsis |
'A series of often vivid country snapshots . . . Meredith is a sure guide to this colossal, sad story' ~ R. W. Johnson, Sunday Times
'As a popular introduction to the subject it could hardly be bettered' ~ Piers Brendon, Sunday Telegraph
'This book is important . . . [It] is also great narrative . . . A spectacularly clear view of the African political jungle' ~ Richard Dowden, Spectator
'A brilliant and vitally important work for all who wish to understand Africa and its beleaguered people' ~ Jay Freeman, Booklist
'A towering history . . . It is the sheer readability that makes it one of the decade's most important works on Africa' ~ Publishers Weekly
Product Description
Africa is forever on our TV screens, but the bad-news stories (famine, genocide, corruption) massively outweigh the good (South Africa). Ever since the process of decolonialisation began in the mid-1950s, and arguably before, the continent has appeared to be stuck in a process of irreversible decline. Constant war, improper use of natural resources and misappropriation of revenues and aid monies contribute to an impression of a continent beyond hope. How did we get here? What, if anything, is to be done? Weaving together the key stories and characters of the last fifty years into a stunningly compelling and coherent narrative, Martin Meredith has produced the definitive history of how European ideas of how to organise 10,000 different ethnic groups has led to what Tony Blair described as the 'scar on the conscience of the world'. Authoritative, provocative and consistently fascinating, this is a major book on one of the most important issues facing the West today.
From the Inside Flap
The fortunes of Africa have changed dramatically in the fifty years since the independence era began. As Europe’s colonial powers withdrew, dozens of new states were launched amid much jubilation and to the world’s applause. African leaders stepped forward with energy and enthusiasm to tackle the problems of development and nation-building, boldly proclaiming their hopes of establishing new societies that might offer inspiration to the world at large. The circumstances seemed auspicious. Independence came in the midst of an economic boom. On the world stage, African states excited the attention of the world’s rival power blocs; in the Cold War era, the position that each newly independent state adopted in its relations with the West or the East was viewed as a matter of crucial importance. Africa was considered too valuable a prize to lose.
Today, Africa is spoken of only in pessimistic terms. The sum of its misfortunes – its wars, its despotisms, its corruption, its droughts – is truly daunting. No other area of the world arouses such a sense of foreboding. Few states have managed to escape the downward spiral: Botswana stands out as a unique example of an enduring multi-party democracy; South Africa, after narrowly avoiding revolution, has emerged in the post-apartheid era as a well-managed democratic state. But 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.
So what went wrong? How did Harold Macmillan’s ‘winds of change’ turn into Tony Blair’s ‘scar on the conscience of the world’? What happened to this vast continent, so rich in resources, culture and history, to bring it so close to destitution and despair in the space of two generations?
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. From the giddy enthusiasms of the 1960s to the ‘coming of tyrants’ and rapid decline, The State of Africa is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how it came to this – and what, if anything, is to be done. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Martin Meredith is the author of many acclaimed books on Africa including lives of Robert Mugabe and Nelson Mandela and COMING TO TERMS: SOUTH AFRICA'S SEARCH FOR TRUTH. He lives near Oxford. |
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