The State of Africa
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Martin Meredith |
| Products | Non-fiction book |
The State of Africa: A History Of Fifty Years Of Independence—also released under the titles The Fate of Africa: From the Hopes of Freedom to the Heart of Despair, and reissued in 2011 as The State of Africa: A History Of The Continent Since Independence'—is a 2005 publication authored by British writer Martin Meredith.
Background and synopsis
This work offers a comprehensive exploration of Africa’s trajectory following the end of European colonial rule, emphasizing persistent issues such as civil wars, authoritarian regimes, and widespread corruption. Meredith depicts the continent predominantly through the lens of adversity, highlighting occurrences like famine, genocide, and political malfeasance, while acknowledging limited exceptions exemplified by South Africa.
Reception
Pamela Bone from Australian newspaper The Age commended the book as a "remarkable historical account, eloquently narrated," detailing extensive episodes of conflict, upheaval, dictatorship, starvation, mass atrocities, coups d’état, and economic downturns throughout African countries. Nonetheless, she pointed out that the narrative tends to underrepresent the enduring resilience and determination exhibited by African populations amid these challenges.
In an article for The Independent, Alex Duval Smith characterized the book as an "objective evaluation" that successfully situates Africa’s recent five decades within a broader historical framework.
Ugandan human rights advocate Chris Nkwatsibwe praised Meredith’s skill in managing such an expansive topic, describing the portrayal of Africa’s story as a unified "patchwork quilt," rather than a rigid sequence organized strictly by individual nations.
See also
- Elephant Destiny, another publication by Martin Meredith