Goblin reviewed How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney
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 …
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 have had to say later if he hadn't been assassinated. Also the book is written from a Marxist perspective, and so throughout the book there is an implication that socialist states are the solution. A whole lot less capitalism would almost certainly be an improvement, but depending on how you feel about the history of socialist states, the enthusiasm for the state might seem excessive. I could not agree with the author's assertion that only capitalist states engage in imperialism.
In summary, it's an excellent history lesson, and I suggest reading with a filter for "written from a Marxist perspective from over 50 years ago."
