The disruption caused by the `villagisation' programme nearly led to catastrophe (in Tanzania). ordered a new palace for himself with sliding walls and doors, rotating rooms and a private nightclub, costing well over $200 million. Let me give you some examples chosen at random.

Because make no mistake, this is a horror story, and it has left me with a feeling close to despair. You have to ask yourselves if you have a strong stomach. But I think readers should be issued with a warning. And as far as I know, this is the only book which covers all of Africa in the last 50 years. The Fate of Africa is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how it came to this - and what, if anything, is to be done.įive stars for this plain, urgent, and very comprehensive account of Africa since the colonial powers packed up and left, or were booted out. But most African countries are effectively bankrupt, prone to civil strife, subject to dictatorial rule, weighted down by debt, and heavily dependent on Western assistance for survival.' 'So what went wrong? What happened to this vast continent, so rich in resources, culture and history, to bring it so close to destitution and despair in the space of two generations?' Focusing on the key personalities, events and themes of the independence era, Martin Meredith's narrative history seeks to explore and explain the myriad problems that Africa has faced in the past half-century, and faces still. Few states have managed to escape the downward spiral: Botswana stands out as a unique example of an enduring multi-party democracy South Africa, after narrowly avoiding revolution, has emerged in the post-apartheid era as a well-managed democratic state. No other area of the world arouses such a sense of foreboding.

The sum of its misfortunes - its wars, its despotisms, its corruption, its droughts - is truly daunting. Africa was considered too valuable a prize to lose.' 'Today, Africa is spoken of only in pessimistic terms. On the world stage, African states excited the attention of the world's rival power blocs in the Cold War era, the position that each newly independent state adopted in its relations with the West or the East was viewed as a matter of crucial importance. Independence came in the midst of an economic boom. African leaders stepped forward with energy and enthusiasm to tackle the problems of development and nation-building, boldly proclaiming their hopes of establishing new societies that might offer inspiration to the world at large. As Europe's colonial powers withdrew, dozens of new states were launched amid much jubilation and to the world's applause. 'The fortunes of Africa have changed dramatically in the fifty years since the independence era began.

The Fate of Africa by Martin Meredith