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A Handful of Hard Men
by Hannes Wessels • 2015
Fewer than 200 Rhodesian soldiers faced 10,000. They won every battle and still lost the war.
4.28
1k+
A Handful of Hard Men Summary
A Handful of Hard Men 89%
Fewer than 200 Rhodesian soldiers faced 10,000. They won every battle and still lost the war.
by Hannes Wessels 2015
4.28
1k+ ratings
Dark Star Safari
by Paul Theroux • 2002
He crossed Africa overland and found billions in foreign aid had only deepened the disaster.
3.98
16k+
Dark Star Safari Summary
Dark Star Safari 89%
He crossed Africa overland and found billions in foreign aid had only deepened the disaster.
by Paul Theroux 2002
3.98
16k+ ratings
Nervous Conditions
by Tsitsi Dangarembga • 2004
A Rhodesian farm girl inherits her dead brother's education and learns it demands a new self.
4.04
24k+
Nervous Conditions Summary
Nervous Conditions 88%
A Rhodesian farm girl inherits her dead brother's education and learns it demands a new self.
by Tsitsi Dangarembga 2004
4.04
24k+ ratings
The House of Hunger
by Dambudzo Marechera • 1978
He leaves the house that starved him, but the starvation has moved inside him forever.
3.95
1k+
The House of Hunger Summary
The House of Hunger 88%
He leaves the house that starved him, but the starvation has moved inside him forever.
by Dambudzo Marechera 1978
3.95
1k+ ratings
"Mau Mau" detainee
by Josiah Mwangi Kariuki • 1976
They called it rehabilitation. He survived fourteen camps to tell what it really was.
3.81
16
"Mau Mau" detainee Summary
"Mau Mau" detainee 88%
They called it rehabilitation. He survived fourteen camps to tell what it really was.
by Josiah Mwangi Kariuki 1976
3.81
16 ratings
There Was a Country
by Chinua Achebe • 2012
A literary witness to Biafra: starvation, secession, and the three-year war that consumed millions.
4.04
3k+
There Was a Country Summary
There Was a Country 88%
A literary witness to Biafra: starvation, secession, and the three-year war that consumed millions.
by Chinua Achebe 2012
4.04
3k+ ratings
The Afrikaners
by Hermann Giliomee • 2003
Three centuries of one people's making: from diverse origins to apartheid and the reckoning after.
4.18
136
The Afrikaners Summary
The Afrikaners 88%
Three centuries of one people's making: from diverse origins to apartheid and the reckoning after.
by Hermann Giliomee 2003
4.18
136 ratings
States and Power in Africa
by Jeffrey Herbst • 2000
Europe built states through war. Africa skipped that step, and its borders now protect failure.
3.99
269
States and Power in Africa Summary
States and Power in Africa 88%
Europe built states through war. Africa skipped that step, and its borders now protect failure.
by Jeffrey Herbst 2000
3.99
269 ratings
Surrender or Starve
by Robert D. Kaplan • 1988
A Marxist regime weaponized famine in Ethiopia. The West's life-saving aid also financed the war.
3.67
474
Surrender or Starve Summary
Surrender or Starve 88%
A Marxist regime weaponized famine in Ethiopia. The West's life-saving aid also financed the war.
by Robert D. Kaplan 1988
3.67
474 ratings
The Scramble for Africa
by Thomas Pakenham • 1991
Livingstone begged to save Africa. Within a generation, it was carved up for rubber and gold.
4.15
3k+
The Scramble for Africa Summary
The Scramble for Africa 88%
Livingstone begged to save Africa. Within a generation, it was carved up for rubber and gold.
by Thomas Pakenham 1991
4.15
3k+ ratings
White Supremacy
by George M. Fredrickson • 1981
Same racial logic, different regimes: why America built Jim Crow and South Africa built apartheid.
3.88
113
White Supremacy Summary
White Supremacy 88%
Same racial logic, different regimes: why America built Jim Crow and South Africa built apartheid.
by George M. Fredrickson 1981
3.88
113 ratings
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
by Winston S. Churchill • 1898
It took a frontier war for a young Churchill to understand the brutal logic of empire.
3.99
358
The Story of the Malakand Field Force Summary
The Story of the Malakand Field Force 88%
It took a frontier war for a young Churchill to understand the brutal logic of empire.
by Winston S. Churchill 1898
3.99
358 ratings
King Leopold's Ghost
by Adam Hochschild • 1998
Private kingdom, fake charity, ten million dead: the Congo holocaust that Europe chose to forget.
4.19
70k+
King Leopold's Ghost Summary
King Leopold's Ghost 88%
Private kingdom, fake charity, ten million dead: the Congo holocaust that Europe chose to forget.
by Adam Hochschild 1998
4.19
70k+ ratings
Africa Is Not a Country
by Dipo Faloyin • 2022
Fifty-four countries, 1.4 billion people: the West keeps mistaking a continent for a country.
4.38
11k+
Africa Is Not a Country Summary
Africa Is Not a Country 87%
Fifty-four countries, 1.4 billion people: the West keeps mistaking a continent for a country.
by Dipo Faloyin 2022
4.38
11k+ ratings
The Horn of Africa
by Christopher Clapham • 2017
Africa's only region never fully colonized produced border wars bloodier than any colonial map did.
3.89
54
The Horn of Africa Summary
The Horn of Africa 87%
Africa's only region never fully colonized produced border wars bloodier than any colonial map did.
by Christopher Clapham 2017
3.89
54 ratings
Citizenship between Empire and Nation
by Frederick Cooper • 2014
France's African empire became sixteen nations. That was nobody's first choice for the region.
3.93
30
Citizenship between Empire and Nation Summary
Citizenship between Empire and Nation 87%
France's African empire became sixteen nations. That was nobody's first choice for the region.
by Frederick Cooper 2014
3.93
30 ratings
Providence and the Invention of the United States, 1607–1876
by Nicholas Guyatt • 2007
God's plan for America was a British idea that justified slavery and empire.
3.93
14
Providence and the Invention of the United States, 1607–1876 Summary
Providence and the Invention of the United States, 1607–1876 87%
God's plan for America was a British idea that justified slavery and empire.
by Nicholas Guyatt 2007
3.93
14 ratings
History of Modern India
by Bipan Chandra • 2009
From Mughal collapse to British conquest: how a trading company remade a subcontinent.
4.08
2k+
History of Modern India Summary
History of Modern India 87%
From Mughal collapse to British conquest: how a trading company remade a subcontinent.
by Bipan Chandra 2009
4.08
2k+ ratings
Albion's Seed
by David Hackett Fischer • 1989
Four British migrations planted rival cultures in America, each with its own definition of freedom.
4.38
4k+
Albion's Seed Summary
Albion's Seed 87%
Four British migrations planted rival cultures in America, each with its own definition of freedom.
by David Hackett Fischer 1989
4.38
4k+ ratings
The Boer War
by Winston S. Churchill • 1991
Combat, capture, and a moonlit escape: Winston Churchill's firsthand account of the Boer War.
4.07
180
The Boer War Summary
The Boer War 87%
Combat, capture, and a moonlit escape: Winston Churchill's firsthand account of the Boer War.
by Winston S. Churchill 1991
4.07
180 ratings
Spectacle
by Pamela Newkirk • 2015
1906: the Bronx Zoo caged a Congolese man in the monkey house. Thousands paid to stare.
3.63
918
Spectacle Summary
Spectacle 87%
1906: the Bronx Zoo caged a Congolese man in the monkey house. Thousands paid to stare.
by Pamela Newkirk 2015
3.63
918 ratings
The Case for Colonialism
by Bruce Gilley • 2023
Start new colonies from scratch. The controversial solution to a century of post-colonial disaster.
4.32
191
The Case for Colonialism Summary
The Case for Colonialism 87%
Start new colonies from scratch. The controversial solution to a century of post-colonial disaster.
by Bruce Gilley 2023
4.32
191 ratings
Homegoing
by Yaa Gyasi • 2016
Two half-sisters: a governor's bride above, a captive below. Their lines diverge for centuries.
4.47
411k+
Homegoing Summary
Homegoing 87%
Two half-sisters: a governor's bride above, a captive below. Their lines diverge for centuries.
by Yaa Gyasi 2016
4.47
411k+ ratings
Mayflower
by Nathaniel Philbrick • 2006
The first Thanksgiving was followed by a war bloodier per capita than the Civil War.
3.89
47k+
Mayflower Summary
Mayflower 87%
The first Thanksgiving was followed by a war bloodier per capita than the Civil War.
by Nathaniel Philbrick 2006
3.89
47k+ ratings
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families
by Philip Gourevitch • 1998
Seven pastors warned they would die tomorrow. The world read their letter and did nothing.
4.22
37k+
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families Summary
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families 87%
Seven pastors warned they would die tomorrow. The world read their letter and did nothing.
by Philip Gourevitch 1998
4.22
37k+ ratings
The Wretched of the Earth
by Frantz Fanon • 1961
Colonialism can only be overthrown by violence that destroys oppressor and oppressed self at once.
4.35
33k+
The Wretched of the Earth Summary
The Wretched of the Earth 87%
Colonialism can only be overthrown by violence that destroys oppressor and oppressed self at once.
by Frantz Fanon 1961
4.35
33k+ ratings
Lose Your Mother
by Saidiya Hartman • 2007
A historian goes to Ghana seeking roots. All anyone calls her is stranger.
4.29
3k+
Lose Your Mother Summary
Lose Your Mother 87%
A historian goes to Ghana seeking roots. All anyone calls her is stranger.
by Saidiya Hartman 2007
4.29
3k+ ratings
Imaginary Homelands
by Salman Rushdie • 1991
After empire, the migrant's double vision and a stolen tongue remake what home and freedom mean.
3.99
2k+
Imaginary Homelands Summary
Imaginary Homelands 87%
After empire, the migrant's double vision and a stolen tongue remake what home and freedom mean.
by Salman Rushdie 1991
3.99
2k+ ratings
American Slavery, American Freedom
by Edmund S. Morgan • 1975
American liberty and American slavery grew from the same soil, and each strengthened the other.
4.12
4k+
American Slavery, American Freedom Summary
American Slavery, American Freedom 87%
American liberty and American slavery grew from the same soil, and each strengthened the other.
by Edmund S. Morgan 1975
4.12
4k+ ratings
White Malice
by Susan Williams • 2021
Africa's Cold War was a lie. America's real mission: control the uranium, crush independent leaders.
4.17
1k+
White Malice Summary
White Malice 87%
Africa's Cold War was a lie. America's real mission: control the uranium, crush independent leaders.
by Susan Williams 2021
4.17
1k+ ratings
Britain's Gulag
by Caroline Elkins • 2005
Britain ran a brutal camp system in Kenya, then spent decades hiding the bodies.
4.06
2k+
Britain's Gulag Summary
Britain's Gulag 87%
Britain ran a brutal camp system in Kenya, then spent decades hiding the bodies.
by Caroline Elkins 2005
4.06
2k+ ratings
The Invention of Tradition
by Eric J. Hobsbawm • 1983
Most timeless rituals were built recently, assembled when rapid change broke old social bonds.
3.95
2k+
The Invention of Tradition Summary
The Invention of Tradition 87%
Most timeless rituals were built recently, assembled when rapid change broke old social bonds.
by Eric J. Hobsbawm 1983
3.95
2k+ ratings
The Ends of the Earth
by Robert D. Kaplan • 1996
Rivers and soil shape nations more than constitutions. A journey to the frontiers where states fail.
4.11
2k+
The Ends of the Earth Summary
The Ends of the Earth 87%
Rivers and soil shape nations more than constitutions. A journey to the frontiers where states fail.
by Robert D. Kaplan 1996
4.11
2k+ ratings
India that is Bharat
by J. Sai Deepak • 2021
Independence did not end colonialism. It just moved inside the constitution.
4.42
2k+
India that is Bharat Summary
India that is Bharat 87%
Independence did not end colonialism. It just moved inside the constitution.
by J. Sai Deepak 2021
4.42
2k+ ratings
El sueño del celta
by Mario Vargas Llosa • 2010
An Irish knight condemned for treason retraces the colonial jungles that turned him against empire.
3.85
10k+
El sueño del celta Summary
El sueño del celta 87%
An Irish knight condemned for treason retraces the colonial jungles that turned him against empire.
by Mario Vargas Llosa 2010
3.85
10k+ ratings
You Must Set Forth at Dawn
by Wole Soyinka • 2006
A stolen artifact, a dictator's table, a secret peace mission: a Nobel laureate's life off stage.
4.02
518
You Must Set Forth at Dawn Summary
You Must Set Forth at Dawn 87%
A stolen artifact, a dictator's table, a secret peace mission: a Nobel laureate's life off stage.
by Wole Soyinka 2006
4.02
518 ratings
Waiting for the Barbarians
by J.M. Coetzee • 1980
A frontier magistrate shelters a tortured prisoner and discovers the Empire has no room for mercy.
3.93
37k+
Waiting for the Barbarians Summary
Waiting for the Barbarians 87%
A frontier magistrate shelters a tortured prisoner and discovers the Empire has no room for mercy.
by J.M. Coetzee 1980
3.93
37k+ ratings
Africa in the World
by Frederick Cooper • 2014
Africa co-created global capitalism. The nation-state map that emerged was nobody's intended plan.
3.53
47
Africa in the World Summary
Africa in the World 86%
Africa co-created global capitalism. The nation-state map that emerged was nobody's intended plan.
by Frederick Cooper 2014
3.53
47 ratings
Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust
by John Henrik Clarke • 1992
Columbus did not discover a new world. He launched a slave trade that built capitalism.
4.45
718
Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust Summary
Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust 86%
Columbus did not discover a new world. He launched a slave trade that built capitalism.
by John Henrik Clarke 1992
4.45
718 ratings
Red Skin, White Masks
by Glen Sean Coulthard • 2014
State recognition is a colonial trap: real Indigenous freedom demands turning away from it entirely.
4.46
941
Red Skin, White Masks Summary
Red Skin, White Masks 86%
State recognition is a colonial trap: real Indigenous freedom demands turning away from it entirely.
by Glen Sean Coulthard 2014
4.46
941 ratings
The Christian Imagination
by Willie James Jennings • 2010
The modern idea of race was not a secular invention; it was born inside Christian theology.
4.51
713
The Christian Imagination Summary
The Christian Imagination 86%
The modern idea of race was not a secular invention; it was born inside Christian theology.
by Willie James Jennings 2010
4.51
713 ratings
The Forest People
by Colin M. Turnbull • 1961
The Mbuti have no chiefs, no crime, and no fear of the forest that feeds them.
3.96
3k+
The Forest People Summary
The Forest People 86%
The Mbuti have no chiefs, no crime, and no fear of the forest that feeds them.
by Colin M. Turnbull 1961
3.96
3k+ ratings
The Great Boer War
by Byron Farwell • 1976
To beat a handful of farmers, Britain burned 30,000 farms and invented the concentration camp.
4.15
578
The Great Boer War Summary
The Great Boer War 86%
To beat a handful of farmers, Britain burned 30,000 farms and invented the concentration camp.
by Byron Farwell 1976
4.15
578 ratings
Empire
by Niall Ferguson • 2003
Piracy, sugar, and debt built the largest empire ever. The collapse outpaced the climb.
3.93
10k+
Empire Summary
Empire 86%
Piracy, sugar, and debt built the largest empire ever. The collapse outpaced the climb.
by Niall Ferguson 2003
3.93
10k+ ratings
History of the Negro Race in America From 1619 to 1880. Vol 1 Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens
by George Washington Williams • 2012
The 1883 history that began in African empires and ended with the Constitution enshrining slavery.
4.03
29
History of the Negro Race in America From 1619 to 1880. Vol 1 Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens Summary
History of the Negro Race in America From 1619 to 1880. Vol 1 Negroes as Slaves, as Soldiers, and as Citizens 86%
The 1883 history that began in African empires and ended with the Constitution enshrining slavery.
by George Washington Williams 2012
4.03
29 ratings
Natives
by Akala • 2018
Britain's empire never ended. It just learned to call itself meritocracy.
4.53
23k+
Natives Summary
Natives 86%
Britain's empire never ended. It just learned to call itself meritocracy.
by Akala 2018
4.53
23k+ ratings
Uncommon Wealth
by Kojo Koram • 2022
Offshore finance and debt traps: empire's playbook, tested abroad, now returned to reshape Britain.
4.29
508
Uncommon Wealth Summary
Uncommon Wealth 86%
Offshore finance and debt traps: empire's playbook, tested abroad, now returned to reshape Britain.
by Kojo Koram 2022
4.29
508 ratings
Power, Politics and Culture
by Edward W. Said • 2001
The scholar who revealed how Western learning became a tool of empire, in his own words.
4.26
613
Power, Politics and Culture Summary
Power, Politics and Culture 86%
The scholar who revealed how Western learning became a tool of empire, in his own words.
by Edward W. Said 2001
4.26
613 ratings
A Line in the Sand
by James Barr • 2011
Why the Arab-Israeli conflict began as a secret war between Britain and France.
4.06
5k+
A Line in the Sand Summary
A Line in the Sand 86%
Why the Arab-Israeli conflict began as a secret war between Britain and France.
by James Barr 2011
4.06
5k+ ratings
Decolonial Daughter
by Lesley-Ann Brown • 2018
Letters from a Black mother to her European son about the colonial past they carry together.
4.13
86
Decolonial Daughter Summary
Decolonial Daughter 86%
Letters from a Black mother to her European son about the colonial past they carry together.
by Lesley-Ann Brown 2018
4.13
86 ratings
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