Synopses & Reviews
After liberating itself from French colonial rule in one of the twentieth centurys most brutal wars of independence, Algeria became a standard-bearer for the non-aligned movement. By the 1990s, however, its revolutionary political model had collapsed, degenerating into a savage conflict between the military and Islamist guerillas that killed some 200,000 citizens.
In this lucid and gripping account, Martin Evans and John Phillips explore Algerias recent and very bloody history, demonstrating how the high hopes of independence turned into anger as young Algerians grew increasingly alienated. Unemployed, frustrated by the corrupt military regime, and excluded by the West, the post-independence generation needed new heroes, and some found them in Osama bin Laden and the rising Islamist movement.
Evans and Phillips trace the complex roots of this alienation, arguing that Algerias predicamentpolitical instability, pressing economic and social problems, bad governance, a disenfranchised youthis emblematic of an arc of insecurity stretching from Morocco to Indonesia. Looking back at the pre-colonial and colonial periods, they place Algerias complex present into historical context, demonstrating how successive governments have manipulated the past for their own ends. The result is a fractured society with a complicated and bitter relationship with the Western powersand an increasing tendency to export terrorism to France, America, and beyond.
Review
"An excellent primer that provides readers a quick orientation into Algerias history from 1820 to the present."Cmdr. Youssef Aboul-Enein, Waterline -- Air Force Research Institute
Review
"As this chilling and important book makes clear, [Algeria] remains a country controlled by unelected men who have left most of the population disinherited and at continuing risk of political violence."Michael Mewshaw, Foreign Affairs -- Cmdr. Youssef Aboul-Enein - Waterline
Review
“…well-researched, beautifully written and thoroughly absorbing, despite the wrenching tragedies [this book] must chronicle.”George Ayittey,
The Wall Street Journal -- Maj Gen Robert H. Scales
Review
andldquo;[An] engaging and important book.andrdquo;andmdash;Philip Murphy, International Affairs
Review
and#8220;and#8230;..there had been a glaring shortage of really good general works on its post-independence history. [Kenya] not only plugs that hole, but has much to say too about the possible futures of many other poor post-colonial states.and#8221;and#8212;Stephen Howe, The Independent
Review
"With another election in the offing, Kenya's story is hardly over. To begin to understand what is at stake, read Branch."—Robert Rotberg, Choice Stephen Howe - The Independent
Review
and#8220;Branch has produced a largely narrative account, accessible to the general, non-specialist reader, and an excellent primer for students on African Studies courses interested in Kenya.and#8221;and#8212;Warris Vianni, Awaaz Magazine.com
Review
and#8220;and#8230;The greatest strength of the book is its scope. Branch masterfully pulls together five decades of often baffling complexity doublespeak and cover-ups, into an insightful and highly readable story. Kenyan historiography has been begging for such a book.and#8221;
andnbsp;and#8220;and#8230;This bookand#8217;s achievements deserve to be celebrated: combining scholarly rigour with accessibility, it stands as the best account of post-colonial Kenyan politics.and#8221;and#8212;Edward Goodman, The English Historical Review
Synopsis
An illuminating account of Kenya's first fifty years of independence and the issues that block the nation's path to prosperity and justice
On December 12, 1963, people across Kenya joyfully celebrated independence from British colonial rule, anticipating a bright future of prosperity and social justice. As the nation approaches the fiftieth anniversary of its independence, however, the people's dream remains elusive. During its first five decades Kenya has experienced assassinations, riots, coup attempts, ethnic violence, and political corruption. The ranks of the disaffected, the unemployed, and the poor have multiplied. In this authoritative and insightful account of Kenya's history from 1963 to the present day, Daniel Branch sheds new light on the nation's struggles and the complicated causes behind them.
Branch describes how Kenya constructed itself as a state and how ethnicity has proved a powerful force in national politics from the start, as have disorder and violence. He explores such divisive political issues as the needs of the landless poor, international relations with Britain and with the Cold War superpowers, and the direction of economic development. Tracing an escalation of government corruption over time, the author brings his discussion to the present, paying particular attention to the rigged election of 2007, the subsequent compromise government, and Kenya's prospects as a still-evolving independent state.
Synopsis
Over the past two decades, the situation in Africas largest country, Sudan, has progressively deteriorated: the country is in second position on the Failed States Index, a war in Darfur has claimed hundreds of thousands of deaths, President Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court, a forthcoming referendum on independence for Southern Sudan threatens to split the country violently apart.
In this fascinating and immensely readable book, the Africa editor of the Economist gives an absorbing account of Sudans descent into failure and what some have called genocide. Drawing on interviews with many of the main players, Richard Cockett explains how and why Sudan has disintegrated, looking in particular at the countrys complex relationship with the wider world. He shows how the United States and Britain were initially complicit in Darfurbut also how a broad coalition of human-rights activists, right-wing Christians, and opponents of slavery succeeded in bringing the issues to prominence in the United States and creating an impetus for change at the highest level.
Synopsis
Famous until the 1950s for its religious pluralism and extraordinary cultural heritage, Egypt is now seen as an increasingly repressive and divided land, home of the Muslim Brotherhood and an opaque regime headed by the aging President Mubarak.
In this immensely readable and thoroughly researched book, Tarek Osman explores what has happened to the biggest Arab nation since President Nasser took control of the country in 1954. He examines Egypts central role in the development of the two crucial movements of the period, Arab nationalism and radical Islam; the increasingly contentious relationship between Muslims and Christians; and perhaps most important of all, the rift between the cosmopolitan elite and the mass of the undereducated and underemployed population, more than half of whom are aged under thirty. This is an essential guide to one of the Middle Easts most important but least understood states.
Synopsis
An illuminating account of Kenya's first fifty years of independence and the issues that block the nation's path to prosperity and justice
Synopsis
On December 12, 1963, people across Kenya joyfully celebrated independence from British colonial rule, anticipating a bright future of prosperity and social justice. As the nation approaches the fiftieth anniversary of its independence, however, the people's dream remains elusive. During its first five decades Kenya has experienced assassinations, riots, coup attempts, ethnic violence, and political corruption. The ranks of the disaffected, the unemployed, and the poor have multiplied. In this authoritative and insightful account of Kenya's history from 1963 to the present day, Daniel Branch sheds new light on the nation's struggles and the complicated causes behind them.
Branch describes how Kenya constructed itself as a state and how ethnicity has proved a powerful force in national politics from the start, as have disorder and violence. He explores such divisive political issues as the needs of the landless poor, international relations with Britain and with the Cold War superpowers, and the direction of economic development. Tracing an escalation of government corruption over time, the author brings his discussion to the present, paying particular attention to the rigged election of 2007, the subsequent compromise government, and Kenya's prospects as a still-evolving independent state.
Synopsis
In this illuminating account of Kenya's first fifty years of independence, an authority on African history analyzes how ethnic violence, government corruption, inequality, and other difficult issues hinder national prosperity and justice.
About the Author
Martin Evans is professor of contemporary history at the University of Portsmouth and author of The Memory of Resistance: French Opposition to the Algerian War 195462 (1997). John Phillips has reported from Algeria for The Times and other newspapers and is author of Macedonia: Warlords & Rebels in the Balkans (2004).