Recommended reading on colonialism in Africa?

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PeZook
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Recommended reading on colonialism in Africa?

Post by PeZook »

I have recently realized my knowledge of colonialism as it pertains to Africa is full of massive holes ; I am wondering if people would be able to recommend a good primer so that I could get a good overall grasp of the history and issues regarding this matter, as well as maybe some more in-depth positions.
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Re: Recommended reading on colonialism in Africa?

Post by K. A. Pital »

Perry Anderson's work about Portugal's late colonial policies is quite interesting. The title is Portugal and the End of Ultra-Colonialism. As for an overview of the entire Scramble for Africa, I'm not sure what to recommend for such a massive topic. My own general picture was composed of reading different and separate works about British, French and other colonies in Africa.
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PeZook
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Re: Recommended reading on colonialism in Africa?

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I understand perfectly well that it may be impossible to find a single book that describes the entire Scramble For Africa in any useful way, so it's not a problem if you recommend separate positions about each period or colonial empire .
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JULY 20TH 1969 - The day the entire world was looking up

It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.
- NEIL ARMSTRONG, MISSION COMMANDER, APOLLO 11

Signature dedicated to the greatest achievement of mankind.

MILDLY DERANGED PHYSICIST does not mind BREAKING the SOUND BARRIER, because it is INSURED. - Simon_Jester considering the problems of hypersonic flight for Team L.A.M.E.
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Re: Recommended reading on colonialism in Africa?

Post by Ziggy Stardust »

Most of the information I have found on the topic is fairly indirect. Most books about colonialism in Africa are very specific, focusing on a short time period or specific place. "King Leopold's Ghost" is a good one about the Belgian Congo.

There's a book called "Explorers of the Nile," which actually goes into great detail about colonialism in the Egypt, Sudan, and Eastern Africa.
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Re: Recommended reading on colonialism in Africa?

Post by madd0ct0r »

subscribed as I too am interested.
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Re: Recommended reading on colonialism in Africa?

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Rudyard Kipling. :twisted:
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Re: Recommended reading on colonialism in Africa?

Post by CaptHawkeye »

PeZook wrote:I have recently realized my knowledge of colonialism as it pertains to Africa is full of massive holes ; I am wondering if people would be able to recommend a good primer so that I could get a good overall grasp of the history and issues regarding this matter, as well as maybe some more in-depth positions.
Walter Rodney's "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa" for a critical take on the damage European Colonialism did to Africa. It's very generalized, and talks about Africa's history leading up to the Scramble and the subsequent nature and effects of western domination of the continent. Though a word of warning, Rodney is not terribly impartial about his political stance on the Cold War.
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