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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.

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.

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 .

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.

subscribed as I too am interested.

Rudyard Kipling.

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.