What do you think?
Rate this book
Empires in the Sun: The Struggle for the Mastery of Africa
In this dramatic (and often tragic) story of an era that radically changed the course of world history, Lawrence James investigates how, within one hundred years, Europeans persuaded and coerced Africa into becoming a subordinate part of the modern world. His narrative is laced with the experiences of participants and onlookers and introduces the men and women who, for better or worse, stamped their wills on Africa. The continent was a magnet for the high-minded, the adventurous, the philanthropic, the unscrupulous. Visionary pro-consuls rubbed shoulders with missionaries, explorers, soldiers, big-game hunters, entrepreneurs, and physicians.
Between 1830 and 1945, Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Italy and the United States exported their languages, laws, culture, religions, scientific and technical knowledge and economic systems to Africa. The colonial powers imposed administrations designed to bring stability and peace to a continent that appeared to lack both. The justification for occupation was emancipation from slavery—and the common assumption that late nineteenth-century Europe was the summit of civilization.
By 1945 a transformed continent was preparing to take charge of its own affairs, a process of decolonization that took a quick twenty years. This magnificent history also pauses to ask: what did not happen and why?
Between 1830 and 1945, Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Italy and the United States exported their languages, laws, culture, religions, scientific and technical knowledge and economic systems to Africa. The colonial powers imposed administrations designed to bring stability and peace to a continent that appeared to lack both. The justification for occupation was emancipation from slavery—and the common assumption that late nineteenth-century Europe was the summit of civilization.
By 1945 a transformed continent was preparing to take charge of its own affairs, a process of decolonization that took a quick twenty years. This magnificent history also pauses to ask: what did not happen and why?
416 pages, Hardcover
First published November 3, 2016
61 people are currently reading
1199 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence James
66 books70 followersEdwin James Lawrence, most commonly known as Lawrence James, is an English historian and writer.
James graduated with a BA in English & History from the University of York in 1966, and subsequently undertook a research degree at Merton College, Oxford. Following a career as a teacher, James became a full-time writer in 1985.
James has written several works of popular history about the British Empire, and has contributed pieces for Daily Mail, The Times and the Literary Review.
James graduated with a BA in English & History from the University of York in 1966, and subsequently undertook a research degree at Merton College, Oxford. Following a career as a teacher, James became a full-time writer in 1985.
James has written several works of popular history about the British Empire, and has contributed pieces for Daily Mail, The Times and the Literary Review.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
January 8, 2017
To write a history of Africa in regards to colonialism and its effects on peoples, societies, trade and political power would challenge the best of writers and would likely be a life's work stretching to many volumes.
Lawrence James offers in his one volume work a history that provides a mouth-watering overview that offers the reader a wide-ranging, accessible and highly informative account of this rich, beautiful and complex continent.
Starting with the European powers exploration and "civilisation" he weaves a story of characters - some well-known and others less so - who went to work for their king, emperor, queen or president.
The progress in time and colonialisation treads across the decades and links the world wars and sacrifice to vain hopes (at first) of franchise and self-government and finally to colonial withdrawal, complicated by a Cold War between communism and capitalism. This last aspect was fascinating in how the colonial powers handed over power, sometimes competently and quietly or in others following insurgencies or rushed exits after 1945. But what made it even more riveting was the complexities that Russia and America added with their billions of roubles and dollars, tens of thousands of advisors, myriad of weapons systems, wars by proxy and a good spattering of dictators who had little real allegiance to either side and feathered their own nests; in some cases exacerbating national debt that set a framework for failing nations and inter-nation and tribal wars from the 1960s onwards.
Within this story of time and nations we hear also of the peoples who were to be educated, civilised and controlled. Slavery (by and for Europeans, Americans, Arabs and yes Africans), raw materials, religion, alliances, wars, geographies, diseases, technology, weapons and transport routes are some of the aspects that feature in this simple yet readable work.
This is not the detailed multi-volume history that Africa deserves, especially now with Chinese money and expertise playing a part, but it is a very good introduction providing also a level of sources and bibliography that sets the reader on a path to learn more on one or many subjects.
To try this perhaps as your single book on Africa this year should you be looking for a good history and story would be one recommended by this reader.
Lawrence James offers in his one volume work a history that provides a mouth-watering overview that offers the reader a wide-ranging, accessible and highly informative account of this rich, beautiful and complex continent.
Starting with the European powers exploration and "civilisation" he weaves a story of characters - some well-known and others less so - who went to work for their king, emperor, queen or president.
The progress in time and colonialisation treads across the decades and links the world wars and sacrifice to vain hopes (at first) of franchise and self-government and finally to colonial withdrawal, complicated by a Cold War between communism and capitalism. This last aspect was fascinating in how the colonial powers handed over power, sometimes competently and quietly or in others following insurgencies or rushed exits after 1945. But what made it even more riveting was the complexities that Russia and America added with their billions of roubles and dollars, tens of thousands of advisors, myriad of weapons systems, wars by proxy and a good spattering of dictators who had little real allegiance to either side and feathered their own nests; in some cases exacerbating national debt that set a framework for failing nations and inter-nation and tribal wars from the 1960s onwards.
Within this story of time and nations we hear also of the peoples who were to be educated, civilised and controlled. Slavery (by and for Europeans, Americans, Arabs and yes Africans), raw materials, religion, alliances, wars, geographies, diseases, technology, weapons and transport routes are some of the aspects that feature in this simple yet readable work.
This is not the detailed multi-volume history that Africa deserves, especially now with Chinese money and expertise playing a part, but it is a very good introduction providing also a level of sources and bibliography that sets the reader on a path to learn more on one or many subjects.
To try this perhaps as your single book on Africa this year should you be looking for a good history and story would be one recommended by this reader.
January 24, 2020
Beware the power of good intentions. When the Europeans started carving up Africa they did so for all the predictable reasons: money, power, geopolitical influence, raw materials for the goods they produced at home and new markets abroad for selling them. But many of them also believed that they were performing a charitable act of Christian kindness. They were certain that providing the benefits of European enlightenment and culture would lead the natives out of ignorance and superstition, and converting them would save their souls. They were sure of this because they had pondered the question of why Africa remained backward and seemingly uncivilized while the rest of the world was moving forward in art, science, and culture, and they decided it was their duty to help their African brethren.
To us this sounds like cant and humbug, and a good deal of cynicism is certainly called for, but we should be cautious about projecting our own beliefs onto others. Many of those who ventured to Africa were committed to the civilizing mission, and churches, politicians, and learned men threw their full support behind the idea. Today we would point them toward Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel, and explain how climate, geography, food supplies, diseases, transportation systems, and raw materials can accelerate or retard the development of societies.
History teaches us to be cautious about accepting simple answers. It is easy to condemn the French for their invasion of Algeria in 1830, since it was precipitated by debts incurred during the Napoleonic period that France did not want to pay, and because Charles X believed, rightly, that war abroad would shore up his flagging support at home. However, we should not forget that the invasion also put an end to piracy in the western Mediterranean, which had persisted because the local rulers profited from it. Ships were still being captured and sailors held for ransom or enslaved. The newly independent United States had already fought two wars against the pirates, the most recent ending only 15 years before the French invasion.
And so while there were some good intentions that led the Europeans into Africa, and some positive results were achieved, good intentions are no match for power and profit. The natives were cheated out of their lands and when they rose up against their treatment they were slaughtered. The survivors were subjected to forced labor, which the Europeans thought was an excellent idea, because they were sure it would teach the virtues of discipline and hard work.
At the beginning of the colonization period the slave trade was still widespread. Portugal had founded the colony of Angola primarily to profit from it, and the economies of many of the kingdoms on the east coast of Africa depended on it. After the Napoleonic wars England had obtained grudging agreement from the other European countries to stop the slave trade, and in a noble gesture used its own ships to patrol the coasts of Africa. It was a long and difficult endeavor, because the Royal Navy could only hope to intercept a fraction of the slave ships, and with insatiable demand from Brazil and Arabia, the profits were worth the risk for most ship owners. It was not until nearly the end of the 19th century that the combination of diplomacy and force finally put an end to it.
Throughout the continent it was the same story of subjugation and exploitation. The introduction of Western medicine saved many lives and schools began educating some Africans, but there was never any question of equality. Most of the European powers had a long term vision that eventually the natives would be educated to become workers and consumers, but the colonies would remain possessions of their European masters permanently. Some colonies, however, were purely for profit. The author calls king Leopold II of Belgium one of history’s most despicable villains, and that is surely correct. He ran the Congo as his personal possession, for his private benefit rather than his country’s, and created a public relations campaign that portrayed him as kindly and benevolent to hide the depraved brutality with which he actually operated. Adam Hochschild’s King Leopold’s Ghost tells the whole sad story, but requires a strong stomach to get through it.
And then it all fell apart. After World War II the idea of national liberation took hold, and resistance movements started rising up throughout the continent. Even then the European powers believed they could control the process. With India, for instance, Britain expected a forty year transition period to independence. In the end the countries were freed in a haphazard, bungling manner, and most became corrupt and unstable, ruled by incompetent warlords, a situation which continues to this day and shows no signs of improvement.
The last part of the book deals with the proxy wars fought by the Americans and Soviets across the continent during the liberation years. Angola can stand as an exemplar of this process: at one time there were 300,000 Portuguese solders in the country; three different native liberation movements, one of which was Communist; 50,000 Cuban combat soldiers and thousands of Russian “advisors” and thousands more South African soldiers trying to secure their northern border. When the foreigners left the country was plunged into a 27 year civil war and remains devastated to this day, with people still dying every year from the millions of land mines spread by the combatants.
There are some remarkable stories in this book, of intrepid explorers and fearless missionaries, of diplomacy and skullduggery, and insight into the worldview of Europeans at a time when they held the unquestioned belief that their culture and way of life were not only superior to all others, but should be imposed, by force if necessary, across the globe. Even if well-intentioned, this kind of smug high handedness never ends well, and it left Africa plundered, divided, and impoverished.
To us this sounds like cant and humbug, and a good deal of cynicism is certainly called for, but we should be cautious about projecting our own beliefs onto others. Many of those who ventured to Africa were committed to the civilizing mission, and churches, politicians, and learned men threw their full support behind the idea. Today we would point them toward Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel, and explain how climate, geography, food supplies, diseases, transportation systems, and raw materials can accelerate or retard the development of societies.
History teaches us to be cautious about accepting simple answers. It is easy to condemn the French for their invasion of Algeria in 1830, since it was precipitated by debts incurred during the Napoleonic period that France did not want to pay, and because Charles X believed, rightly, that war abroad would shore up his flagging support at home. However, we should not forget that the invasion also put an end to piracy in the western Mediterranean, which had persisted because the local rulers profited from it. Ships were still being captured and sailors held for ransom or enslaved. The newly independent United States had already fought two wars against the pirates, the most recent ending only 15 years before the French invasion.
And so while there were some good intentions that led the Europeans into Africa, and some positive results were achieved, good intentions are no match for power and profit. The natives were cheated out of their lands and when they rose up against their treatment they were slaughtered. The survivors were subjected to forced labor, which the Europeans thought was an excellent idea, because they were sure it would teach the virtues of discipline and hard work.
At the beginning of the colonization period the slave trade was still widespread. Portugal had founded the colony of Angola primarily to profit from it, and the economies of many of the kingdoms on the east coast of Africa depended on it. After the Napoleonic wars England had obtained grudging agreement from the other European countries to stop the slave trade, and in a noble gesture used its own ships to patrol the coasts of Africa. It was a long and difficult endeavor, because the Royal Navy could only hope to intercept a fraction of the slave ships, and with insatiable demand from Brazil and Arabia, the profits were worth the risk for most ship owners. It was not until nearly the end of the 19th century that the combination of diplomacy and force finally put an end to it.
Throughout the continent it was the same story of subjugation and exploitation. The introduction of Western medicine saved many lives and schools began educating some Africans, but there was never any question of equality. Most of the European powers had a long term vision that eventually the natives would be educated to become workers and consumers, but the colonies would remain possessions of their European masters permanently. Some colonies, however, were purely for profit. The author calls king Leopold II of Belgium one of history’s most despicable villains, and that is surely correct. He ran the Congo as his personal possession, for his private benefit rather than his country’s, and created a public relations campaign that portrayed him as kindly and benevolent to hide the depraved brutality with which he actually operated. Adam Hochschild’s King Leopold’s Ghost tells the whole sad story, but requires a strong stomach to get through it.
And then it all fell apart. After World War II the idea of national liberation took hold, and resistance movements started rising up throughout the continent. Even then the European powers believed they could control the process. With India, for instance, Britain expected a forty year transition period to independence. In the end the countries were freed in a haphazard, bungling manner, and most became corrupt and unstable, ruled by incompetent warlords, a situation which continues to this day and shows no signs of improvement.
The last part of the book deals with the proxy wars fought by the Americans and Soviets across the continent during the liberation years. Angola can stand as an exemplar of this process: at one time there were 300,000 Portuguese solders in the country; three different native liberation movements, one of which was Communist; 50,000 Cuban combat soldiers and thousands of Russian “advisors” and thousands more South African soldiers trying to secure their northern border. When the foreigners left the country was plunged into a 27 year civil war and remains devastated to this day, with people still dying every year from the millions of land mines spread by the combatants.
There are some remarkable stories in this book, of intrepid explorers and fearless missionaries, of diplomacy and skullduggery, and insight into the worldview of Europeans at a time when they held the unquestioned belief that their culture and way of life were not only superior to all others, but should be imposed, by force if necessary, across the globe. Even if well-intentioned, this kind of smug high handedness never ends well, and it left Africa plundered, divided, and impoverished.
June 12, 2025
A very readable survey of the colonization of Africa-followed by the decolonization of the continent, all in not much more than a century. In 1830, European colonizers were still along the coast and had not penetrated into the great interior. In 1885, the Berlin Conference occurred at which the vast continent was divided between the European powers of Britain, France, Germany, Italy-and King Leopold II. Incredibly, a vast area called "the Congo Free State" was awarded to the "king of the Belgians" to rule as his private estate. Due to the massacres carried out and the epidemics that occurred, anywhere from one million to ten million black people died. It was a holocaust and the worst one in Africa, but not the only one. The war the Germans waged against the Hereros in German Southwest Africa (now Namibia) became a war of extermination as the Germans attempted to prove that "inferior races" could not stand in the way of the "progress" of the "superior race." Overall, the process of colonization was one involving continuous violence and bloodshed. At the beginning of the 20th Century, the Europeans looked like they were in Africa to stay--until World Wars I and II occurred. In 1945, the British Empire began to break-up, but not before crushing the Mau Mau Rebellion in Kenya. The French Empire also did not give up peacefully-the tragic Algerian War caused about a million Arab deaths before the French were forced out. But the great overall tragedy for the Africans was that independence happened in the midst of a Cold War in which the new African states became pawns in the global contest between the USA and the USSR. The story takes us to 1990 and the final decolonization on the African continent as white rule ended in South Africa and Nelson Mandela became president. With all the problems-social, political and economic-that Africans have, perhaps only now, for the first time in their history, the African people are able to begin to control their own destiny.
June 17, 2018
Excellent easy to read history of colonialism.
August 3, 2020
I really, really struggled with this; I’d hoped for the balance and impartiality that the Literary Review blurb promised, but James instead writes with a kind of blasé Eurocentrism that seems to equate acknowledging atrocities with reparation for them. I can best describe it by saying that for James it’s as though African minds don’t really exist—he certainly doesn’t write about them, only African bodies. A decent overview of the historical events for the beginner, but otherwise, I think, best left.
November 18, 2022
Summarizing the events on an entire continent - Africa - over the course of two centuries is not an easy task! However, the author Lawrence James does a great job in this book.
To be sure, the book is a broad brush depiction of events on the continent. There is little room for detail. Nonetheless, it's a great starting point to understand the large trends and big picture view of Africa's recent history.
Readers like myself, with little background of the African continent, are well served by James' account. The book gives enough detail to inform us and pique our interest.
An excellent read for any amateur historian interested in recent history.
To be sure, the book is a broad brush depiction of events on the continent. There is little room for detail. Nonetheless, it's a great starting point to understand the large trends and big picture view of Africa's recent history.
Readers like myself, with little background of the African continent, are well served by James' account. The book gives enough detail to inform us and pique our interest.
An excellent read for any amateur historian interested in recent history.
August 24, 2017
I have very little interest in a book on colonialism that explicitly refuses to take a moral stance on the matter. Also,
"The metaphor for empire as a form of seduction has much to recommend it insofar as it suggests possession, usually by force or threat, and exploitation."
I wouldn't want this guy dating my sister.
"The metaphor for empire as a form of seduction has much to recommend it insofar as it suggests possession, usually by force or threat, and exploitation."
I wouldn't want this guy dating my sister.
February 12, 2020
This book is not good history and I don't recommend anyone read this. This book has numerous errors both in printing and in writing.
Firstly i'll go over the errors that occurred at the publishing level that I don't believe the author himself had anything to do with. The very cover of the book features a map of colonized Africa from an unspecified date. Based on the location of the British colonies it seems to be from between 1918-1935, which is a strangely specific and unusual time period to put on your front cover. This map is also inprescise and inaccurate. Spanish colonies are marked as Portuguese , the canary islands and the Azores are both marked as french, among others. I can see this map being intended merely being as an artistic representation, but overall it is not a good look. The first thing you're greeted to when opening is a series of political maps of Africa from 1850, 1914, 1945, and 1990. I don't know if all copies have this issue, but in the copy that I have the 1850 and 1914 maps are in the wrong spot. The 1914 map is in the 1850 spot and labeled so and Visa versa. I don't know how this simple mistake made it to final print but it looks amateurish and lazy. A final point on the publishing errors is one that I'm not sure who's fault it is either way. Like most history books, there's is a section in the middle that showcases pictures that correspond to the topic. In one chapter the author makes reference to two specific photographs that represent what he is saying very well. However neither of these images feature in that section. Their isn't exactly an error but it just seems kind of strange.
Before beginning the criticism of the composition, I'd like to preface by saying that I understand that the topic material being covered is 120 years worth of history in only 400 pages, but I do not believe that it excuses this criticism. This book is a pop history through and through. If you have any sort of knowledge on the topic and seek a deeper understanding you'll get nothing out of this book. Shallow is a good word to describe how this book skims each topic. The beginning of the narrative isn't as egregious as the scope and scale of the colonization is not as large so the flaws of this writing aren't as apparent. As the time period moves on however, there is more material to cover in the same amount of time. Topics are skimmed over at such a quick pace that you feel like your reading the PowerPoint notes to a more interesting lecture. No one story or topic is touched on for more than one to two pages at the very max. Despite being very far from academic, it still wasn't very enjoyable to read, and I think the breakneck pace was part of the issue. Had the book been organised by nation or specific topic that may have not been an issue. But it is put into chapters of chronological order with a vague overarching theme to each. Besides organizational issues there are some factual errors, along with poor historical rigor. Big blanket statements are made without further elaboration or backing, and imprecise language is used when describing delicate events such as massacres. The one example that made me stop reading for good was when he mentioned a french officer who lead an expedition to Timbuktu and would later go on to have a senior command in ww1, "Charles" Joffre. Upon further research I confirmed my suspicion that this was supposed to be Joseph Joffre. This sneaky error made me lose trust in anything else and I couldn't read it anymore.
In conclusion this book will do nothing for you if you have any sort of knowledge on new imperialism whatsoever. I can't even recommend this to someone who doesn't know anything on the subject because of the plethora of errors. I wanted to read this because I don't know much about Africa post-great war as well as decolonization, but I could barely make it half way through. This only gets a 2 star and not 1 because I didn't finish and for the few good things it does do, like tackle the Arab slave trade.
Firstly i'll go over the errors that occurred at the publishing level that I don't believe the author himself had anything to do with. The very cover of the book features a map of colonized Africa from an unspecified date. Based on the location of the British colonies it seems to be from between 1918-1935, which is a strangely specific and unusual time period to put on your front cover. This map is also inprescise and inaccurate. Spanish colonies are marked as Portuguese , the canary islands and the Azores are both marked as french, among others. I can see this map being intended merely being as an artistic representation, but overall it is not a good look. The first thing you're greeted to when opening is a series of political maps of Africa from 1850, 1914, 1945, and 1990. I don't know if all copies have this issue, but in the copy that I have the 1850 and 1914 maps are in the wrong spot. The 1914 map is in the 1850 spot and labeled so and Visa versa. I don't know how this simple mistake made it to final print but it looks amateurish and lazy. A final point on the publishing errors is one that I'm not sure who's fault it is either way. Like most history books, there's is a section in the middle that showcases pictures that correspond to the topic. In one chapter the author makes reference to two specific photographs that represent what he is saying very well. However neither of these images feature in that section. Their isn't exactly an error but it just seems kind of strange.
Before beginning the criticism of the composition, I'd like to preface by saying that I understand that the topic material being covered is 120 years worth of history in only 400 pages, but I do not believe that it excuses this criticism. This book is a pop history through and through. If you have any sort of knowledge on the topic and seek a deeper understanding you'll get nothing out of this book. Shallow is a good word to describe how this book skims each topic. The beginning of the narrative isn't as egregious as the scope and scale of the colonization is not as large so the flaws of this writing aren't as apparent. As the time period moves on however, there is more material to cover in the same amount of time. Topics are skimmed over at such a quick pace that you feel like your reading the PowerPoint notes to a more interesting lecture. No one story or topic is touched on for more than one to two pages at the very max. Despite being very far from academic, it still wasn't very enjoyable to read, and I think the breakneck pace was part of the issue. Had the book been organised by nation or specific topic that may have not been an issue. But it is put into chapters of chronological order with a vague overarching theme to each. Besides organizational issues there are some factual errors, along with poor historical rigor. Big blanket statements are made without further elaboration or backing, and imprecise language is used when describing delicate events such as massacres. The one example that made me stop reading for good was when he mentioned a french officer who lead an expedition to Timbuktu and would later go on to have a senior command in ww1, "Charles" Joffre. Upon further research I confirmed my suspicion that this was supposed to be Joseph Joffre. This sneaky error made me lose trust in anything else and I couldn't read it anymore.
In conclusion this book will do nothing for you if you have any sort of knowledge on new imperialism whatsoever. I can't even recommend this to someone who doesn't know anything on the subject because of the plethora of errors. I wanted to read this because I don't know much about Africa post-great war as well as decolonization, but I could barely make it half way through. This only gets a 2 star and not 1 because I didn't finish and for the few good things it does do, like tackle the Arab slave trade.
December 17, 2023
It is the sort of book that should never have been written and honestly should not be read. It is like all Mr. James work's Eurocentric to an almost unbelievable degree. I think the French and the Belgians might question the equity of information carried about there empires, compared to Britain, and as for the Italians and Portuguese they are hardly even also-rans.
This is the sort of book that looks at colonialism exclusively through the eyes of the colonisers. Africans hardly get a mention, are certainly not considered as having had any input, and the numbers of Africans name checked is appallingly few.
The time for this sort of book has passed - it had passed long before this book was published - but really in the 21st century it should be taken out and burned. The number of five star reviews shows how little real thought we in the west give to anyone else.
This is the sort of book that looks at colonialism exclusively through the eyes of the colonisers. Africans hardly get a mention, are certainly not considered as having had any input, and the numbers of Africans name checked is appallingly few.
The time for this sort of book has passed - it had passed long before this book was published - but really in the 21st century it should be taken out and burned. The number of five star reviews shows how little real thought we in the west give to anyone else.
May 26, 2017
This book was a really good history of colonialism in Africa. The book was easy to read and interesting. The author was able to capture a great deal of history and enables the reader to get an understanding of went on during the time of colonialism. This is by no means a deep dive into the history, however, it enables the reader to gain a cursory knowledge of the conflicts and struggles. I plan on reading more from this author at some point.
June 20, 2019
This is a very poorly written work.
The book wants to cover a very long period of time in the history of Africa. Given the size of information available to be used, the author is apparently hard pressed to write a self-sustaining narrative just because the project has set itself too much ground to cover as a goal. The paragraphs are terse, the information is as if thrown together because there was so much of it and the author needed to write this book. Most likely this guy checked out all the history books available on the topic from some library and tried to squeeze them into a book and hence made a poorly written work of history.
You would expect that such a book, if properly written, would run a few volumes. Not this one. I have the feeling this guy just wanted to write a book and chose this topic to write about. He is not a good writer either. He has the guts though, you need to give him credit for it. You need to have balls of steel to write such a book and put it out there under your name. Reading other books and paraphrasing things that you like is not a good work of history
This book showcases very poor editorial work. A good editor rewrites a page. Who was the editor? A good editor, were such a service engaged, would tell this author that one needs to write smoothly. The figures need not pop into the scene out of blue, there needs to be a background that smoothly gives way to the main narrative, and so on.
The book wants to cover a very long period of time in the history of Africa. Given the size of information available to be used, the author is apparently hard pressed to write a self-sustaining narrative just because the project has set itself too much ground to cover as a goal. The paragraphs are terse, the information is as if thrown together because there was so much of it and the author needed to write this book. Most likely this guy checked out all the history books available on the topic from some library and tried to squeeze them into a book and hence made a poorly written work of history.
You would expect that such a book, if properly written, would run a few volumes. Not this one. I have the feeling this guy just wanted to write a book and chose this topic to write about. He is not a good writer either. He has the guts though, you need to give him credit for it. You need to have balls of steel to write such a book and put it out there under your name. Reading other books and paraphrasing things that you like is not a good work of history
This book showcases very poor editorial work. A good editor rewrites a page. Who was the editor? A good editor, were such a service engaged, would tell this author that one needs to write smoothly. The figures need not pop into the scene out of blue, there needs to be a background that smoothly gives way to the main narrative, and so on.
June 30, 2022
After having read two recent books on the history of sub-Saharan Africa and one on the settlement and exploitation of the Congo River, I found this a very hard book to like. The author writes well and seems to have done a lot of research, but the book seems to highlight only Europe's "mastery" of Africa between 1830-1890. The experience of Africans is seldom brought out. The book seems to jump all over Africa, often in individual paragraphs so the information while broad, seems very shallow. The four maps at the beginning of the book and the pictures included in the book did very little to add to information in the text. I never got the feel that the author had set foot on the continent, just read a lot about it.
July 12, 2023
Breezy history of the colonization and decolonization of Africa. It covers a lot of ground quickly. Probably a book for someone new to the subject looking to get a general overview.
January 26, 2018
A good general survey, although kind of weak on the post-independence period. I especially enjoyed the sections about the period between the world wars.
Given my background studying African history, I enjoyed reading the book and learning some new details about subjects with which I was already familiar. I'm curious though why James choose to go into detail on particular subjects, while glossing over others.
The sections about the French experience in Algeria were most edifying, given that subject matter is not widely covered in most surveys of Africa. The Maghreb and Sahel are not often included in general works on the remainder of the (sub-Saharan) continent.
James spent a good deal of time discussing the liberation struggles in the front=line states in the last decades of the 20th century. It disappointed me he didn't follow up that discussion with a more detailed look at the atrocious rule of Robert Mugabe in independent Zimbabwe, other than a brief passing comment.
That is one of the most egregious, yet telling, examples of why the continent continues to suffer deprivation, poverty, famine and political corruption one, two or three generations after independence. Certainly neo-colonial power structures and economic marginalizaton contribute to the sad state of Africa today. However, its venal, corrupt leaders across the continent play a major role too.
Like many historical texts, this contained a great deal of description but very little prescription, i.e., any significant analysis of what James thinks the future holds based on his historical survey. Maybe that wasn't his goal; it would have been nice to see a little more depth to the summary. That though didn't keep me from enjoying the book. Rather it left me wanting more. Maybe that the subject of his next book!
This would be an excellent read for those without any background in African history.
Given my background studying African history, I enjoyed reading the book and learning some new details about subjects with which I was already familiar. I'm curious though why James choose to go into detail on particular subjects, while glossing over others.
The sections about the French experience in Algeria were most edifying, given that subject matter is not widely covered in most surveys of Africa. The Maghreb and Sahel are not often included in general works on the remainder of the (sub-Saharan) continent.
James spent a good deal of time discussing the liberation struggles in the front=line states in the last decades of the 20th century. It disappointed me he didn't follow up that discussion with a more detailed look at the atrocious rule of Robert Mugabe in independent Zimbabwe, other than a brief passing comment.
That is one of the most egregious, yet telling, examples of why the continent continues to suffer deprivation, poverty, famine and political corruption one, two or three generations after independence. Certainly neo-colonial power structures and economic marginalizaton contribute to the sad state of Africa today. However, its venal, corrupt leaders across the continent play a major role too.
Like many historical texts, this contained a great deal of description but very little prescription, i.e., any significant analysis of what James thinks the future holds based on his historical survey. Maybe that wasn't his goal; it would have been nice to see a little more depth to the summary. That though didn't keep me from enjoying the book. Rather it left me wanting more. Maybe that the subject of his next book!
This would be an excellent read for those without any background in African history.
August 3, 2018
A fantastic book! Lawrence James does a great job and I recommend this book as highly as possible to anyone out there who wants to learn more about African and imperialist history.
First off, this age is much more complicated than many give it credit for. Some themes overlap, but many topics are unique to their time and place. James balances this well; I came away feeling like I learned a ton about the overall era, as well as a lot about individual countries and case studies.
Some parts of the book that I liked: how the different European powers justified this era, Social Darwinism and racism's role, how the Europeans ended the African slave trade (both in the Atlantic and later, often forgotten, in East Africa), the horrors of the Belgian Congo, Islam and Christianity's influences, Egypt's complex history, South Africa's checkered history with racist Boers, Sparta-like Zulus, the English; and how the Cold War influenced everything after WWII. James covers most of the colonies and colonial powers, but, unsurprisingly, spends more time with the British and French ones. In particular, he really knows British history and it shows.
It would be interesting to hear what James thinks of the era's legacy; the book finishes after the independence struggles end. Africa, Europe, and the rest of the world have all been impacted by this enormously important era.
First off, this age is much more complicated than many give it credit for. Some themes overlap, but many topics are unique to their time and place. James balances this well; I came away feeling like I learned a ton about the overall era, as well as a lot about individual countries and case studies.
Some parts of the book that I liked: how the different European powers justified this era, Social Darwinism and racism's role, how the Europeans ended the African slave trade (both in the Atlantic and later, often forgotten, in East Africa), the horrors of the Belgian Congo, Islam and Christianity's influences, Egypt's complex history, South Africa's checkered history with racist Boers, Sparta-like Zulus, the English; and how the Cold War influenced everything after WWII. James covers most of the colonies and colonial powers, but, unsurprisingly, spends more time with the British and French ones. In particular, he really knows British history and it shows.
It would be interesting to hear what James thinks of the era's legacy; the book finishes after the independence struggles end. Africa, Europe, and the rest of the world have all been impacted by this enormously important era.
May 19, 2018
One of the most important books I have read. I’m a little embarrassed at how little I have known about Africa’s history, including its complete colonization by Europe in the span of half a century and the struggles for independence during the Cold War that left disastrous dictatorships in its wake. A must read for those who care about world history.
August 17, 2024
wow this was depressing.
otherwise interesting but not the most engaging writing style
otherwise interesting but not the most engaging writing style
March 22, 2023
The most surprising thing about this book is how new it is. I have read Lawrence James before. His British empire book, published in 1994, was a valuable resource for me when I was writing my own tome. It very much seemed to be of another century, honest about many British crimes, but with an affection for the Empire that would seem tasteless and out of touch in a book written this century. I had assumed that James had died long ago.
When I noticed at my favorite book shop that James had written a book focused on European competition for Africa, I was surprised I had missed it in earlier research. But then I realized I missed it because it hadn't been written yet! Lawrence James is still alive, and he published a book on Africa in 2017! It seems somewhat absurd. And the book produced is quite out of step with the times. James is a good and careful writer. Even considering the fraught subject matter, there's no direct violation of woke standards that I can point to. But there's a general vibe, suggesting that the British really weren't that bad, and this vague sense of questioning whether Africans can really govern themselves, that I found quite distasteful. I am more forgiving of books written in different centuries.
More amusingly, the author's British patriotism comes out in an other competitive way. The horrific crimes of the French, Belgians and Germans are explicated with the same or higher level of condemnation you'd expect from a 20-something woke as hell anthropology PHD. But similar British acts are explained away, or minimized. To be clear, James is honest in his writing. I don't get the sense that he's hiding things, and when the British are nightmarishly brutal, as they were in Kenya in the 1950s, he says so.
All in all, I found the book charmingly nostalgic in its approach. But I can't recommend it as a summary. Firstly, If this is your first introduction to this history, it's the wrong frame to look at things through. And Secondly, I noticed one very egregious error that casts doubt on the rest of the book. On multiple occasions Tunisia's founding president is referred to as the leader of the Algerian independence movement. That's... not correct. And if he's wrong on one of the few African countries I'm familiar with, how must he be doing on the other 50-odd countries covered? That error compelled me to knock another star off this review, and makes it impossible for me to recommend the book.
When I noticed at my favorite book shop that James had written a book focused on European competition for Africa, I was surprised I had missed it in earlier research. But then I realized I missed it because it hadn't been written yet! Lawrence James is still alive, and he published a book on Africa in 2017! It seems somewhat absurd. And the book produced is quite out of step with the times. James is a good and careful writer. Even considering the fraught subject matter, there's no direct violation of woke standards that I can point to. But there's a general vibe, suggesting that the British really weren't that bad, and this vague sense of questioning whether Africans can really govern themselves, that I found quite distasteful. I am more forgiving of books written in different centuries.
More amusingly, the author's British patriotism comes out in an other competitive way. The horrific crimes of the French, Belgians and Germans are explicated with the same or higher level of condemnation you'd expect from a 20-something woke as hell anthropology PHD. But similar British acts are explained away, or minimized. To be clear, James is honest in his writing. I don't get the sense that he's hiding things, and when the British are nightmarishly brutal, as they were in Kenya in the 1950s, he says so.
All in all, I found the book charmingly nostalgic in its approach. But I can't recommend it as a summary. Firstly, If this is your first introduction to this history, it's the wrong frame to look at things through. And Secondly, I noticed one very egregious error that casts doubt on the rest of the book. On multiple occasions Tunisia's founding president is referred to as the leader of the Algerian independence movement. That's... not correct. And if he's wrong on one of the few African countries I'm familiar with, how must he be doing on the other 50-odd countries covered? That error compelled me to knock another star off this review, and makes it impossible for me to recommend the book.
November 26, 2025
It’s easy to say that in taking on the impossible task of crafting a history of an entire continent spanning several centuries James failed. Of course he did. For this particular continent over these particular centuries, no single volume could hope to suffice. But there is value in taking the long view in an accessible format, and by that measure I think James did a fine job.
This is not a general history of Africa. It is one of European powers discovering, dominating, and retreating from the continent. It is necessarily euro-centric, but I don’t see that as the flaw other readers lament. In some early chapters, I came across quips that’s struck me as crassly indifferent to the plight of African populations, but then on the next instance I would read a similar passage as simply tongue-in-cheek. In the end, I gave the author the benefit of the doubt and tried, as I think James did, to prevent my modern sensibilities from biasing an understanding of historical actors.
This leads to what I found to be the book’s greatest success. As someone who has (and continues to) live and work in Africa, it is easy to unthinkingly view the history of colonization and decolonization as a series of inevitable steps leading in a straight line to today. This book encouraged me to view each generation of actors as they were: flawed humans in their own present working toward an uncertain future. Over the scope of the book, you get the feeling that the current state of Africa, far from preordained, is maybe one of the least likely outcomes of this saga! The book subtly underscores how the weight of hundreds of years of European exploitation makes the challenges facing still-young African nations even more immense.
While I was hoping for a deeper dive on decolonization and Cold War machinations, I found all the earlier material relevant and engaging. And James helpfully leaves us his bibliography to mine for follow up reading.
This is not a general history of Africa. It is one of European powers discovering, dominating, and retreating from the continent. It is necessarily euro-centric, but I don’t see that as the flaw other readers lament. In some early chapters, I came across quips that’s struck me as crassly indifferent to the plight of African populations, but then on the next instance I would read a similar passage as simply tongue-in-cheek. In the end, I gave the author the benefit of the doubt and tried, as I think James did, to prevent my modern sensibilities from biasing an understanding of historical actors.
This leads to what I found to be the book’s greatest success. As someone who has (and continues to) live and work in Africa, it is easy to unthinkingly view the history of colonization and decolonization as a series of inevitable steps leading in a straight line to today. This book encouraged me to view each generation of actors as they were: flawed humans in their own present working toward an uncertain future. Over the scope of the book, you get the feeling that the current state of Africa, far from preordained, is maybe one of the least likely outcomes of this saga! The book subtly underscores how the weight of hundreds of years of European exploitation makes the challenges facing still-young African nations even more immense.
While I was hoping for a deeper dive on decolonization and Cold War machinations, I found all the earlier material relevant and engaging. And James helpfully leaves us his bibliography to mine for follow up reading.
November 30, 2022
(PT) Um relato dos impérios europeus em África, durante pouco mais de um século, e de como, a principio, a intervenção serviu para abolir à força a escravatura, para depois se tornar numa corrida pelos recursos, do qual ainda não acabou, mesmo depois das independências e de África ser um dos cenários da Guerra Fria. E pelo meio, como as ideias sobre África e os africanos se modificaram a cada geração.
"Impérios ao Sol" fala, essencialmente de duas das grandes potências europeias em África, que foram o Reino Unido e a França, com passagens mais pequenas sobre as outras potências, como Alemanha, Itália, Espanha, Bélgica - com o Congo - e Portugal. Boa parte dos capítulos são informativos e contam coisas interessantes sobre como os europeus viam os africanos e vice-versa, como os africanos foram convencidos que a educação seria uma maneira de alcançarem a igualdade e o respeito dos seus pares europeus, mas os "brancos" pouco ou nada queriam saber disso, especialmente quando as tropas africanas foram usadas nas duas grandes guerras mundiais. Aliás, dois grandes momentos definidores do século XX quer em África, quer no mundo.
Em suma, é um livro muito anglocêntrico, mas mesmo assim, não deixa de ser informativo.
"Impérios ao Sol" fala, essencialmente de duas das grandes potências europeias em África, que foram o Reino Unido e a França, com passagens mais pequenas sobre as outras potências, como Alemanha, Itália, Espanha, Bélgica - com o Congo - e Portugal. Boa parte dos capítulos são informativos e contam coisas interessantes sobre como os europeus viam os africanos e vice-versa, como os africanos foram convencidos que a educação seria uma maneira de alcançarem a igualdade e o respeito dos seus pares europeus, mas os "brancos" pouco ou nada queriam saber disso, especialmente quando as tropas africanas foram usadas nas duas grandes guerras mundiais. Aliás, dois grandes momentos definidores do século XX quer em África, quer no mundo.
Em suma, é um livro muito anglocêntrico, mas mesmo assim, não deixa de ser informativo.
September 8, 2017
An entire continent can change significantly in less than a century. "Empires in the Sun" by Lawrence James is the explanation of interaction between Africa and Europe in the 19th and 20th century. The tone of this book is formal, which helps thoroughly convey facts and information. Most sentences are complex, making sure all points are completely introduced, elaborated, and concluded. The setting in which a discussed event is taking place is always noted. For instance, when a battle in Algiers is introduced, the date and location is given, and the reader can easily understand the description. Occasionally, imagery is used, which can make the reader feel like they are a witness of the event. For instance, the replica of a Dahomey village is described as “crowded with ‘great negroes, still savages’ who ‘strode barefoot, with proud and rhythmic beating’ while women pounded millet” on page 166. "Empires in the Sun" is a great book for anyone wondering about the history of Africa.
February 22, 2018
I was initially excited to see a new title from Lawrence James, but the excitement steadily waned as I dove into Empires in the Suns. There is nothing innately wrong with the book. It is a solid general survey of the early European forays into the continent, the abolitionist targeting of the slave trade, the colonial partition, and world wars, but it lacks the depth and detail of James earlier works. It was especially disappointing when compared with James' earlier works, especially the revised edition of The Rise and Fall of the British Empire and Raj. It is more limited in scope, but James showed greater tenacity and detail in shorter volumes like Imperial Rearguard. Consider this if you are looking for a parallel or supplement to State of Africa. Move on if you are not looking for such a pairing or have read history on modern African history and the colonial experience in particular.
February 4, 2021
I appreciate that's it's hard to organize so many disparate national (or proto-national) histories and multiple colonizers and times in an understandable format. At times it seemed to have a lot of detail on very minor points. At times it referenced geographic points and concepts (eg, getting one's Blues at university in Commonwealth countries) that weren't immediately apparent to this American.
The parallelism because the 19th century race for Africa and the Cold War race was mildly interesting to entertain, but it's illustrated in fits and starts.
Tilts toward a subtle pro-British angle, suggesting that British colonialism was more benevolent than those of other colonies.
The sections on the Algerian war of independence and the Boers were excellent. Not much time spent on the odiousness of Ian Smith, etc.
The conclusion that Africans in charge of their own destiny may or may not be a good thing leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
The parallelism because the 19th century race for Africa and the Cold War race was mildly interesting to entertain, but it's illustrated in fits and starts.
Tilts toward a subtle pro-British angle, suggesting that British colonialism was more benevolent than those of other colonies.
The sections on the Algerian war of independence and the Boers were excellent. Not much time spent on the odiousness of Ian Smith, etc.
The conclusion that Africans in charge of their own destiny may or may not be a good thing leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
October 25, 2020
Um bom livro para perceber sobre geopolítica.
É um livro com muita informação da forma como o resto do mundo andou e anda à volta da África, durante alguns períodos da história. Do jogo de interesses sobre o continente na época de domínio do imperialismo e monarquias, em que quem não tinha um reino sólido seguia para obter riquezas no continente negro e também na época de disputas entre o capitalismo/democracia e o comunismo, para obtenção de maiorias e domínio de uma determinada política sobre o globo.
Isso tudo se passou suportado na ideologia de "trazer a civilização" ao continente africano, mascarando a verdade, que era trazer benefícios aos países considerados "civilizados".
É um livro com muita informação da forma como o resto do mundo andou e anda à volta da África, durante alguns períodos da história. Do jogo de interesses sobre o continente na época de domínio do imperialismo e monarquias, em que quem não tinha um reino sólido seguia para obter riquezas no continente negro e também na época de disputas entre o capitalismo/democracia e o comunismo, para obtenção de maiorias e domínio de uma determinada política sobre o globo.
Isso tudo se passou suportado na ideologia de "trazer a civilização" ao continente africano, mascarando a verdade, que era trazer benefícios aos países considerados "civilizados".
Read
June 23, 2020Obra simultaneamente descritiva e problematizante, cronologicamente disposta, sobre o processo de colonização e de efetiva ocupação europeia da África.
ISBN:
978-989-8892-17-1
ASSUNTOS:
Nacionalismo -- História -- África -- Séc. 20; Imperialismo europeu -- África -- Séc. 19-20; África e Europa -- Relações diplomáticas -- Séc. 19-20; África -- Descolonização -- História; África -- Colonização -- Séc. 19-20
CDU:
327(4+6)"19/20"
325.8(6)"19/20"
325.3(=1.4)(6)"19/20"
Livro recomendado PNL2027 - 2019 2.º Sem. - Cultura e Sociedade - Vida Prática - maiores 18 anos - Fluente
ISBN:
978-989-8892-17-1
ASSUNTOS:
Nacionalismo -- História -- África -- Séc. 20; Imperialismo europeu -- África -- Séc. 19-20; África e Europa -- Relações diplomáticas -- Séc. 19-20; África -- Descolonização -- História; África -- Colonização -- Séc. 19-20
CDU:
327(4+6)"19/20"
325.8(6)"19/20"
325.3(=1.4)(6)"19/20"
Livro recomendado PNL2027 - 2019 2.º Sem. - Cultura e Sociedade - Vida Prática - maiores 18 anos - Fluente
July 5, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. I gave a thorough but not overly academic history of European colonisation in Africa. It avoided being emotional, neither being some rose-tinted look back at empire, nor dodgy issues that occurred as decolonisation took place. It deliberately avoids looking at one happened in the various countries post-independence; for this I would recommend "The State of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence" by Martin Meredith, which I read some time ago, but would probably be better to read post this book.
January 17, 2021
Solid but unexceptional history of Africa, suffering a little from biting off more than it can chew (each of its sections could easily support an entire volume this size) and a lack of maps (a particular issue when the text insists on referring to areas by the names they had at the time rather than more modern usages - I understand the decision, but a little more support for the reader would not have gone amiss).
May 6, 2019
I know very little about the history of Africa and this book was a great place to start. I covers a lot of ground so there are definitely things that are jumped over and could have done with a bit more explanation but in terms of giving you an overview from which you can then choose to read about people, places and events in more detail, it’s great.
July 8, 2020
It covers a lot of topics in an impressive amount of depth- essentially the entire Scramble for Africa through the end of apartheid in South Africa. Yet I found the book an inexplicable slog. It's not close to the worst I've read, but perhaps due to the constant shifts in focus (which should make the chapters easy to digest) I found getting into the book as a whole difficult.
August 14, 2022
I really wish this was better as there was a lot of interesting content. But there were too many sentences I had to read multiple times to understand as well as idioms I'd never heard before and had to look up. It also has a tone about it which made me confident it was written by an older English man who had studied at Oxbridge before looking up any details about the author. Sure enough...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews