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Africa since 1940: The Past of the Present (New Approaches to African History)
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| List Price: | £16.99 |
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Product Description
Frederick Cooper’s latest book on the history of decolonization and independence in Africa initiates a new textbook series: New Approaches to African History. This text will help students understand the historical process out of which Africa’s current position in the world has emerged. Bridging the divide between colonial and post-colonial history, it allows readers to see just what political independence did and did not signify and how men and women, peasants and workers, religious leaders and local leaders sought to refashion the way they lived, worked, and interacted with each other.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #265208 in Books
- Published on: 2002-10-10
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 230 pages
Editorial Reviews
Review
‘His writing is clear and based on careful use of data … there is little doubt that it will become the standard text on the contemporary history of Africa.’ Journal of African History
'This is brave stuff … excellent prompts for getting students to think about the big question.' Journal of Modern African Studies
Customer Reviews
excellent overview
If you only read one book on the end of colonialism then this should be it....well, thats what I did anyway, because I didn't have time to read any others.
Cooper starts by taking the examples of the Rwandan Genocide, and the South African election, in 1994. He demonstates how these are not just examples of backwardness and modernity, but events shaped by complex processes combining the two extremes.
He analyses, in some depth, the opportunites colonialism presented, as well as those it denied. Using examples of Zimbabwe, Ghana and South African, amongst others, he paints an interesting picture and provides a useful framework for learning about recent African history.
This is quite a short book, and is fairly accessible, even to someone not studying it academically. Many people (including me) don't know anything like as much as they should about African history, and if you want to change that, this book is a very good starting point.
