Uncovering the Legacy of Africa: Exploring the Continent's History Since Independence

Crianhard: You really must be a glutton for punishment to read this, but it is the truth, hard to imagine so many bad dictators willing to punish their own people who supposedly voted them in.. none of them interested in education, public services, decent living conditions…. More interested in killing and having private yachts and castles in France…. And all this has happened in the past few decades.. we really haven’t advanced much …. Country by Country analysis is staggering, thank you

United States on Dec 24, 2022

Keziah Bentil: I have read through the entire book, including the bibliography. As an African who is the daughter of Ghanaian parents, this book has given me a better perspective of the history of the continent of Africa. Learning about the history in every area of Africa, from North Africa to South Africa to East Africa and to West Africa. Thank you Martin Meredith for writing and revealing the tumultuous history that Africa has faced.
Africa is a continent with a vibrant culture, filled with resilient people. Africa has the potential to be the most prosperous region of the world due to its vast natural resources that it contains. But unfortunately, the barriers and the obstacles the continent continues to face hinder it from becoming the most prosperous region. Corruption and poverty, in my opinion, are the main obstacles that hinder Africa's prosperity into becoming a world power.
Africa is the region that is known to be the cradle of civilization. Ancient Egypt is known to be the first historical milestone that occurred in Africa and has given people a reason to learn more about the history of the continent and its endeavors. We Africans have the potential to turn our continent into a...

United States on May 30, 2020

Alexander Kobulnicky: This book, for what it is, is invaluable. Having read it, I now know All the Facts About Africa (at least through 2011). Before, I knew that Charles Taylor was a bad guy, maybe having something to do with Liberia, and that Tutsis were massacred for some reason, but I was not able to piece together a narrative of how or why it happened. Now, I feel like I have a handle on what's going on in Africa and, importantly, can assimilate future news about the continent. This is like a textbook for an introductory course on African history (and if professors aren't using it, they should.) If I wanted to learn more about Senegalese history, or Ugandan history, it would be a great foundation.

It's honestly churlish to complain about a 750-page book that covers 55 years of an entire continent -- but I will anyway. My main complaint relates to its textbookishness: Meredith offers scarcely any analysis. Why is Africa like that? Is there anything the rest of the world could have done to keep it from being such a disaster? (Would even more foreign aid have helped, or would it just have gone into somebody's pocket? Would more peacekeeping missions have worked or would they have just gotten...

United States on Jun 18, 2018

anoop seth: v good

India on Feb 08, 2017

Christopher: Excellent overview of the history of Africa since independence. Essential resource for those looking for a comprehensive introduction to the region. Strongly recommended

Canada on Jan 16, 2017

Ryan: This book is fantastic . I am loving every page of it. Good research, accurate information and very readable . Well done to Meredith

United Kingdom on Dec 22, 2016

Kindle Customer: This is a good book, but a warning is in order: prepare to feel depressed. The story of African misery and misgovernance is relentless and overwhelming. Is there hope for the future? Damned little, it would seem. The obstacles in the way of progress are huge. This book enumerates these problems in excruciating detail. A valuable contribution to the struggle for justice in a troubled continent.

Canada on Nov 30, 2016

Semou Zinabou Abebe: its very intresting, dojng a paper on sudan ad the conflicts there. it really helped me get a good undertsabding of what happened.

Canada on Mar 27, 2016

Dalton C. Rocha: Here in Brazil, I read this excellent book.
Some great things in this excellent book:
1- In its about 710 pages, this book meticulously charts the history of Africa since its independence, in 1950 decade. Dealing with almost every single country, it shows the Africa's dismal failure. Some passages shows African democracy in the few places where it happened, got good results, see Botswana and Mauritius.
2- This book shows how much Africa has been cursed with corrupt and incompetent tyrants who never cared nothing, for the well being of their people. This rogue's gallery of African despots includes Idi Amin, Bokassa, Mobutu, Julius Nyerere, Banda, Mugabe, Kaunda, Kenyatta, Mengistu, Nasser, Nguema and Nkrumah. While Asia and even Latin America, in the sole case of Chile, got "good despots", African had ever terrible, incompetents, corrupts tyrants and even, in some cases (Idi Amin and Bokassa), mad cannibals.
3- This book is unbiased, concise and Well-written, and it will remain the standard book on the modern history of Africa for at least, a decade ahead.
In just a few sentences: If you weant to read about the African history since 1950 decade, this is the book that...

United States on Jun 11, 2012