Colonial Africa, 1884-1994

African World Histories

by Dennis Laumann

Colonial Africa, 1884-1994, presents a balanced, accessible, and comprehensive overview of how Africans experienced European colonial rule. This brief and affordable text is organized in a layered approach that gives students a deeper insight into the ways in which Africans experienced colonialism and looks at how they understood the world in which they lived during this period. The book provides both a continental overview and specific regional examples, exploring the period in a thematic and chronological way. Each chapter ends with a short list of works cited and suggestions for further reading. Colonial Africa, 1884-1994, concludes with contemplations on the legacy of colonialism by Africans themselves, ranging from Nigerian musician Fela to the Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Muta Maathai.

Genres: History, Africa

112 pages, Paperback

First published August 3, 2012

Reviews

[Sean Mccarrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this a fairly interesting look into Africa's colonial period. I did have a few problems with it however. I think there was a bit of a Marxist bias throughout the book. Figures who embraced Marxism in Africa were generally treated in the book as heroes, and little if no mention was made of the massive amount of money the USSR pumped into the Horn of Africa and Angola (among other places) to wage war, in a fashion similar to that of the United States during the Cold War. Also, this book has been the second book in a row that I've read that has portrayed the Madhi rebellion as a short conflict put down by European technology, when in reality it is one of the best examples of a successful African uprising to colonial powers. However, over all I found that it did a good job of balancing micro and macro histories into one short but in depth history.

[Samuel Pratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is part of the same series as “Cosmopolitan Africa” which I also recently read and reviewed. I read them both for an African studies class. This one is focused a lot more on the colonization of Africa- but has also been eye opening. When we hear about great genocides and war crimes with think of Hitler during World War 2 or Stalin in Soviet Russia during and following World War 2, yet the way that the European powers massacred and worked to death Africans was terrible! I certainly want to study more of African history after reading this book.

[Bram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid and short (80 pages) overview of European colonialism in Africa. Dennis Laumann nicely integrates and synthesizes a lot of recent scholarship. He also includes a good variety of examples from around Africa and lots of primary sources. It’s a great resource for world history teachers who want a little more background on the topic.

[Michael McKiernan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy history and have a genuine interest in more modern African history, this book is an excellent read. It is very accessible and a quick read. The author does a good job of covering the important aspects of the time period in an honest and balanced way.

[Lindsey Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good contextual overview for someone wanting background information about colonial Africa in order to augment a literature reading experience, but for someone actually wanting to learn details of African history, it's entirely too brief. I know that's the concept of this series, but how can you possibly describe colonial Africa in 100 pages? It's a difficult task indeed.

[Ethan Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

- It is certainly an overview and not a comprehensive history of colonial Africa. Nevertheless, I enjoyed scratching the surface with Dr. Laumann and have added several of his sources to my reading list!