How Europe underdeveloped Africa

312 pages

English language

Published Dec. 24, 2011 by Black Classic Press.

ISBN:
978-1-57478-048-2
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OCLC Number:
773301411

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4 stars (1 review)

"This book derives from a concern with the contemporary African situation. It delves into the past only because otherwise it would be impossible to understand how the present came into being and what the trends are for the near future. In the search for an understanding of what is now called underdevelopment in Africa, the limits of enquiry have had to be fixed as far apart as the fifteenth century, on the one hand and the end of the colonial period, on the other hand."-

17 editions

an excellent history lesson

4 stars

Walter Rodney's book is dense but very readable. It's an excellent education for someone who may not have learned much about the history of Africa. It makes a strong case that the problems of development that face the people of Africa were created by foreign imperialism and exploitation, not something fundamentally wrong or backward in Africa.

The African people were doing just fine before Europeans arrived with ships and guns and proceeded to extract African wealth, goods, mineral resources, and people for hundreds of years. In the 20th century the people of Africa managed to educate and organize themselves and push out colonial governments, but there's a lot to recover from and still much work to do.

Some things to be aware of: The book was first published in 1972, so it's somewhat dated. The history is still relevant of course, but I do wonder what more the author would …

Subjects

  • Economic conditions
  • Commerce
  • Colonial influence
  • Foreign economic relations
  • Economic history
  • International economic relations

Places

  • Africa
  • Europe