Edward Paice

A scandalous scramble

Lawrence James’s study of foreign involvement in Africa ends in 1994. But much shameful exploitation still persists

issue 28 January 2017

Empires in the Sun might conjure up romantic visions for some, but this book’s essence is distilled in its subtitle, ‘The Struggle for the Mastery of Africa’. Lawrence James’s panoramic survey of imperial and then neo-colonial subjugation of the African continent between 1830 and 1990 is a timely reminder, if any were needed, of the devastating consequences of chauvinistic nationalism and expansionism.

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