Decolonization: Unsung Heroes of the Resistance

by Pierre Singaravélou, Karim Misk�, Marc Ball

Full of gripping historical vignettes and evocative photographs, an accessible overview of the dynamic figures who resisted colonization, from India, Senegal, and Algeria to Vietnam, Kenya, and Congo.

Decolonization started on the very first day of colonization.

From the arrival of the Europeans, the peoples of Africa and Asia rose up. No one willingly accepts subjugation, but in order to one day regain freedom, you first and foremost need to stay alive. Faced with the Europeans’ machine guns, the colonized hit back in other ways: from civil disobedience to communist revolution, by way of soccer and literature. It was a struggle marked by infinite patience and unlimited determination, fought by heroic men and women now largely unknown.
Condensing a wealth of scholarly research into short, lively chapters, Decolonization brings their extraordinary stories to light:
Manikarnika Tambe, the Indian queen who led her troops into battle against the British;
Mary Nyanjiru, the Kenyan activist who spearheaded a protest in Nairobi;
Lamine Senghor, the Senegalese infantryman who became an anti-colonial militant in Paris;
and many more.
With them, a current of resistance swept the world, culminating in the independence of almost all the colonies in the 1960s. But at what price? In the atomic India of Indira Gandhi, in the Congo subjected to Mobutu’s dictatorship, or in a London shaken by the rioting of young immigrants, we can see just how crucial it is that we understand and learn from this painful history.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2022

Reviews

[David Corleto-Bales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Various important decolonialization figures in world history, from Ho Chi Minh to Indira Gandhi and many more, in countries around the world. The birth of independence movements in Senegal, Nigeria, Vietnam, India, Algeria, Kenya and elsewhere are noted, with women featured as well as the better-known men, from the nineteenth century until the 1960s. There is a rather strong left-wing bias in the book, (the Soviets are viewed relatively favorably) that detracts from the overall message, but it is an important work nonetheless.

[Sam Rainwater · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good overview or beginning point of lesser-known revolutionaries attempting to reclaim their homeland from greedy and inhumane western colonizers. However, I would not recommend this book for any classroom setting because some details and photos are vividly graphic and disturbing. The strength of this book is its attempt to remove or expose Western bias in the recording and retelling of decolonization. If you want to familiarize yourself with snapshots into African and Asian history, this short read is informative and very visual!

[Mallee Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick easy read that covers a number of African and Asian countries that suffered atrocities before they gained independence from a European nation. A great read for anyone who knows nothing about Europe's greed, but it falls short by skimming over countries thus not deeply examining the many injustices. If you're after a detailed history of colonialism in Africa, Rodney's How Europe Underdeveloped Africa offers a greater understanding of Europe's colonial destruction.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A great starting point reading about the countries who were colonized and the people who fought back. This book focuses on the forgotten and erased heroes of mostly ignored countries in Africa and SE Asia as well as India and Morocco. Short but fascinating.

I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.

[Sarthak Vishnoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked reading it although the book is heavily focused on former French colonies with the exception of India and DRC. I liked reading the stories of independence struggle in different parts of the world. The book is quite good for someone who's starting to study more about the colonial history of the world.

[Ugo Devillers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Belle carte qui mérite d'être utilisée pour approfondir l'histoire des colons et des colonisés. Pour se reconnecter avec l'histoire de son pays et être plus en paix avec elle.

[Naisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening.

[Myha Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal favorite: The Heroic Princess

[Julian Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of vignettes of historical episodes during and after colonial rule. While highlighting some worthy and lesser-known anti-colonial figures, the vignettes are often too brief to serve as anything more than a springboard for further research, and the translation from French is awkward at point.

[Left_coast_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decolonization: Unsung Heroes of Resistance shares the stories of anti colonial leaders from all over the world including Kenya, Algeria, the Congo, India, and Vietnam. The information is presented as short vignettes.

We learn about women like the Kenyan Mary Nyanjiru, who lost her life leading an attempt to free anti colonial leader Harry Thuku. We learn about Lamine Senghor, recruited from his native Senegal to fight for France in World War I like hundreds of thousands of other colonial subjects. He then dedicated the rest of his life to political activism aimed at dismantling French colonialism.

There are descriptions of military campaigns like the one led by Moroccan Abd el-Krim. His fighters wages asymmetrical warfare against the Spanish and French. In Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh and Vo Nguyen Giap won a decisive victory against the French at Dien Bien Phu, inspiring insurgents around the globe.

If I have one criticism of the book it's the focus on individual leaders rather than the multitudes who sacrificed so much. I think it's more important to understand the socioeconomic and cultural factors that drove people to act rather than the personal qualities of those in leadership positions.