Africa Since Independence

For more than two generations, Colin Legum has been an activist, a scholar, and a respected journalist involved with the politics and development of Africa. No one is in a better position to assess Africa's experience since independence and to make predictions about the continent's likely future. Legum divides his analysis into four main sections, ordered chronologically : "The Romantic Period, 1939-1970," "The Period of Disillusionment, 1970-1985," "The Period of Realism, 1988-?," and a fourth part that speculates out the notion that Africa is currently undergoing a "Period of Renaissance." In his look to the future, Legum remains a realist, for he recognizes that the struggle for democracy is ongoing, that Africa's economic problems are enormous, and that AIDS has become pandemic on the continent;but in spite of this, Legum ultimately permits himself to imagine and describe some hopeful possible scenarios. Throughout Africa since Independence, we witness African countries going through experiences similar to those of Europe and of the West in general. This is a book that will appeal to scholars and students alike. It is concise, judicious, insightful, and thought-provoking.