How Europe Underdeveloped Africa

paperback, 416 pages

English language

Published Nov. 26, 2018 by Verso.

ISBN:
978-1-78873-118-8
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OCLC Number:
1048168613

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4 stars (1 review)

Work of political economy, detailing the impact of slavery and colonialism on the history of international capitalism. Rodney makes the unflinching case that African “mal-development” is not a natural feature of geography, but a direct product of imperial extraction from the continent, a practice that continues up into the present.

In this new edition, Angela Davis offers a striking foreword to the book, exploring its lasting contributions to a revolutionary and feminist practice of anti-imperialism.

10 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

  • History
  • Anthropology
  • Colonialism
  • Imperialism
  • Capitalism