African Politics and Society: A Mosaic in Transformation

by Peter J. Schraeder

AFRICAN POLITICS AND A MOSAIC IN TRANSFORMATION is the first single-authored textbook to examine continuity and change in African politics and society from the pre-colonial era to the present. It fills the needs of those with little prior knowledge while balancing this background information with thorough analysis for those already familiar with the subject. An emphasis has been placed on making sense of general developments on the African continent as a whole while introducing the distinctive natures of Africa's 53 countries. Each chapter emphasizes the major trends associated with a topic, trends that are further explored through illustrative case studies that represent all regions of the African continent. Each chapter concludes with a list of readings for further exploration and research. Numerous maps, tables, figures, and boxed elements highlight fundamental issues of interest. Because each chapter stands alone, instructors can assign chapters that relate topics that are of greatest relevance to the course or reorder chapters to better suit their syllabi.

Genres: Africa, Nonfiction

416 pages, Paperback

First published July 21, 2003

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provided a very pertinent and comprehensible overview of the complexities involved in governance on the African continent. Highly recommended for anyone looking to study Africa or for those simply interested in a general overview of the politics of the continent.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the sort of primer on this continent that shows just how much they didn't teach in high school. Offers plenty of ways to debate the issues; grasp the source material; and understand today's headlines. If you wish to emerge from the gauzy cocoon that is the Africa of myth (and everyone ought to) this is a fine place to start.