Africa: A Beginner’s Guide – Tom Young

Africa: A Beginner's Guide

Author: Tom Young

Publisher: Oneworld Publications

Print Length: 192 pages

Genre: Non-Fiction / History, Political Science

Topic: Colonialism & Post-Colonialism, Nationalism, National Consciousness, Nation-Building & Nationhood, Independence & Liberation, Conflict, War, Civil War, Foreign Intervention, Economy, Geopolitics, Governance, History, Humanitarian Action & Humanitarianism, Leadership, Politics & Power

Vast, diverse, dynamic, and turbulent, the true nature of Africa is often obscured by its poverty-stricken image. In this controversial and gripping guide, Tom Young cuts through the emotional hype to critically analyse the continent’s political history and the factors behind its dismal economic performance. Maintaining that colonial influences are often overplayed, Young argues that much blame must lie with African governments themselves and that Western aid can often cause as much harm as good.

“An excellent introduction to Africa. It is not just a well-laid out narrative of what made the continent what it is today, it is a thought-provoking reflection on the arguments that swirl around the image of Africa today.” – Richard Dowden – Director of the Royal African Society

List of illustrations

Introduction: making sense of Africa

1. Africa before colonialism 

2. Colonial rule and nationalist revolt 

3. Independent Africa: success and failure 

4. Conflict, war and intervention 

5. Can outsiders change Africa?

By way of conclusion

Notes

Further reading

Index

Tom Young is Senior Lecturer in Politics, Member at the Centre on Conflict, Rights and Justice, and Member at the Centre of African Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, UK. He is the editor of Readings in African Politics. His research interests are international nd domestic politics of Southern Africa,
political theory and ideology, and the state and politics in Africa. 

Source: https://www.soas.ac.uk/about/thomas-young

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