An overview of the post-independence history of many African nations. Meredith accounts for the difficult hangovers of colonialism, such as an under-capacitated civil service and economies that were often geared towards enriching a small segment of the population, but emphasizes the failure of African leaders. Written in the mid-2000s, Meredith lays the ongoing troubles of the continent primarily at the feet of 'Big Men' rulers, who have swindled, stolen, destroyed, and defrauded their countries. Though he recognizes the near-impossible task of governing many countries whose boundaries were drawn with little regard to culture or history, Meredith also details how political leaders and military rulers have pursued power by pitting different cultural groups against one another, often with disastrous results. Much of Africa, he writes, is in a worse economic place in the twenty-first century than at independence. Captures the over-arching themes of recent African history without delving too deeply into any country or region. One wonders how the countries which are overlooked here would complicate these stories?
