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State of Africa
'As a narrative of Africa's political trajectory since independence, this book is hard to beat... Elegantly written as well as unerringly accurate' Financial Times 'Meredith has given a spectacularly clear view of the African political jungle' Spectator 'You cannot even begin to understand contemporary African politics if you have not read this fascinating book' Bob Geldof Africa is forever on our TV screens, but the bad-news stories (famine, genocide, corruption) massively outweigh the good (South Africa). Ever since the process of de-colonialisation began in the mid-1950s, and arguably before, the continent has appeared to be stuck in a process of irreversible decline. Constant war, improper use of natural resources and misappropriation of revenues and aid monies contribute to an impression of a continent beyond hope. How did we get here? What, if anything, is to be done? Fully revised and updated and weaving together the key stories and characters of the last sixty years into a stunningly compelling and coherent narrative, Martin Meredith has produced the definitive history of how European ideas of how to organise 10,000 different ethnic groups has led to what Tony Blair described as the 'scar on the conscience of the world'. Authoritative, provocative and consistently fascinating, this is the seminal book on one of the most important issues facing the West today.
780 pages, Paperback
About the author
Martin Meredith
22 books224 followersMartin Meredith is a historian, journalist and biographer, and author of many acclaimed books on Africa.
Meredith first worked as a foreign correspondent in Africa for the Observer and Sunday Times, then as a research fellow at St Antony’s College, Oxford. Residing near Oxford, he is now an independent commentator and author.
Meredith’s writing has been described as authoritative and well-documented, despite the pessimism inherent in his subject matter.
He is the author of Diamonds, Gold and War, Mugabe: Power, Plunder – which sold over 15 000 copies in South Africa, and The Struggle for Zimbabwe’s Future, The State of Africa and Nelson Mandela: A Biography, among many others.
His most recent book is Born in Africa, published by Jonathan Ball Publishers.
Meredith first worked as a foreign correspondent in Africa for the Observer and Sunday Times, then as a research fellow at St Antony’s College, Oxford. Residing near Oxford, he is now an independent commentator and author.
Meredith’s writing has been described as authoritative and well-documented, despite the pessimism inherent in his subject matter.
He is the author of Diamonds, Gold and War, Mugabe: Power, Plunder – which sold over 15 000 copies in South Africa, and The Struggle for Zimbabwe’s Future, The State of Africa and Nelson Mandela: A Biography, among many others.
His most recent book is Born in Africa, published by Jonathan Ball Publishers.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 6, 2023
Not an easy read. The State of Africa takes a look at the history after the end of colonisation in Africa. What started as an idea of freedom an future to often got smashed by corruption and the role of african states on the stage of the cold war, where the USA and the USSR fought trough their respective puppets. So the african history of the second half of the 20th century helds a lot off sorrow misfortunes but also a long list of new beginnings. To understand why Africa is in its current state and how much possibilities lay within that continent, it's important to understand its history. So the book is a recommendation, with a little warning.
January 1, 2023
Very in-depth and insightful. Chapters regarding South Africa are larger than others but does cover all of Africa well, starts with independence movements and works it way through to modern day. Would recommend a notebook to write things to research further as there's lots of rabbit holes to explore.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews