The Scramble for Africa (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

M.E. Chamberlain (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0582368812 | ISBN-13: 978-0582368811 | Publication Date: April 23, 1999 | Edition: 2

This is the first major revision of this key Seminar Study which was originally published in 1974. The book contrasts the Victorian image of Africa with what has been revealed by late twentieth-century research on the history of Africa. Professor Chamberlain uses case histories from Egypt to Zimbabwe to examine the European partition and conquest of the continent. For the new edition she brings up-to-date the historiography of the explanations offered for the phenomenon, Euro-centric or 'peripheral', economic, political or strategic. Revised, reset and reissued in the larger format now established for the series, the new edition is sure to be welcomed by a new generation of students.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

In 1870 barely one tenth of Africa was under European control. By 1914 only about one tenth – Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and Liberia – was not. This book offers a clear and concise account of the ‘scramble’ or ‘race’ for Africa, the period of around 20 years during which European powers carved up the continent with little or no consultation of its inhabitants.

In her classic overview, M.E. Chamberlain:

• Contrasts the Victorian image of Africa with what we now know of African civilisation and history
• Examines in detail case histories from Egypt to Zimbabwe
• Argues that the history and background of Africa are as important as European politics and diplomacy in understanding the 'scramble'
• Considers the historiography of the topic, taking into account Marxist and anti-Marxist, financial, economic, political and strategic theories of European imperialism

This indispensible introduction, now in a fully updated third edition, provides the most accessible survey of the ‘scramble for Africa’ currently available.  The new edition includes primary source material unpublished elsewhere, new illustrations and additional pedagogical features. It is the perfect starting point for any study of this period in African history.

M.E. CHAMBERLAIN is Professor Emeritus at Swansea University.

 

 

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Longman; 2 edition (April 23, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0582368812
• ISBN-13: 978-0582368811
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,208,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ocean Transportation, January 6, 2008

By 

Nathan Arnold "Nathan" (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Scramble for Africa (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Going off of memory, Chamberlain does a fine job of describing the ocean vessel / steamship business through the Suez canal and Gibraltar straights and how the exploitation of Africa really arose out of transportation technology improvements among the agressive colonizing states - hence the 'scramble'.

This is nothing more than a primer. It is not about Africa - it's really about the 'Scramble' more than it is about Africa - like many books concerning Africa during the colonial period. Unfortunately very few written histories exists prior to the 1800s in sub-Saharan Africa.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Primer, January 19, 2007

By 

J. Caldon "Buff Flyer" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Scramble for Africa (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

This book is very concise and as such is a good start to understanding the Scramble for Africa.