The Fate of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence by Martin Meredith Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Fate of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence
Book Review: Fate of Africa
Summary: 5 Stars
Excellent book. It's lengthy and took me several months to complete, but I was actually sad when I finished (yeah, I need to get a life). Like one other reviewer noted, it definitely increased my interest level (and shaped my views) on Africa-related events in the news. Book Review: Important reality check
Summary: 5 Stars
The author has done a brilliant job of covering the last 50 years of African history in a well-documented and lucid fashion. It's all here--- Algeria, Biafra/Nigeria, the Congo, the Sudan, Angola, Black Hawk Down, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, the AIDs crisis, etc. When you've finished reading this history, you'll see the latest news from Africa in a much more knowing way than before you picked up the book. This account is an important reality check for anyone interested in the fate of this continent and the best way to go about providing aid.Book Review: Gripping, dispiriting, almost numbing account of the plight of a continent
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a comprehensive look at African political history in the last half century. The overwhelming immediate cause in Africa's downward spiral appears to be the outright thuggery and/or megalomania of most of its political leaders during that time. Colonialism left Africans for the most part with almost no administrative and educational infrastructure with which they could manage a modern political and economic system on their own. Tribal and ethnic politics was rampant, and ruthless men took advantage of this to persecute minorities and enrich themselves. Billions upon billions in foreign aid and revenues from natural resources have been largely wasted, often with the tacit acquiescence of the Western powers whose interests were sufficiently well served to make them satisfied with the status quo, or at least unwilling to take risks to enforce reform, despite the terrible toll on the African masses. Meredith catalogs all this in almost numbing detail.
When you add to this the terrible religious (Muslim vs. Christian) and racial tensions in many regions and within countries, Meredith paints an exceedingly bleak picture. When even one of the very best of African governments, that of South Africa, denies its AIDS epidemic based on pure charlatanry, it is hard not to despair of Africa's future.
The only recourse is to take a very long perspective and hope that the damage done to the environment, resources, and social fabric of these countries is not truly irreversible. Otherwise, the human tragedy will engulf a continent and the chilling lawlessness that Meredith describes in places like Sierra Leone and Liberia may become the norm. In which case the only cure will be massive and costly intervention to prevent the African continent from becoming a haven for terrorism and banditry of every stripe, whether or not the developed countries really care about the "fate of Africans" themselves.
Book Review: There is Hope!
Summary: 5 Stars
Martin Meredith is an excellent writer and researcher. "The Fate of Africa: From the Hopes of Freedom to the Heart of Despair" is an excellent read. This along with his other work "The State of Africa" are must reads for anyone working in or wanting to learn about contemporary Africa. However, there are many positive but unreported events at work that are slowly shaping Africa for the future. I wish the title of this compendium was titled instead - "The Fate of Africa: From the Heart of Despair to Hopes of Freedom".Book Review: The best book I've read all year
Summary: 5 Stars
The Fate of Africa is a treasure trove -- comprehensive, clear, and vastly informative. Meredith brings characters like Nkrumah and Nasser to life, while deftly illuminating the policies that slowed or paralyzed economies. What a pleasure to read, on so many different levels!