Continent for the Taking: The Tragedy and Hope of Africa
Continent for the Taking: The Tragedy and Hope of Africa
Continent for the Taking: The Tragedy and Hope of Africa
Member Benefits
30% Off All Books - Savings that support storytellers, not stock prices.
Fight Book Bans - Every membership sends a book to LGBTQ+ youth in affected states.
Member Book Price
$21.33
$14.93
Couldn't load pickup availability
Description
Description
Africa first captivated "New York Times "journalist Howard W. French more than twenty-five years ago, but his knowledge of and passion for the continent has the depth of a lifetime association. His experiences there awakened him as nothing before to the selfishness and shortsightedness of the rich, the suffering and dignity of the poor and the uses and abuses of power. And in this powerfully written, profoundly felt book, he gives us an unstinting account of the disastrous consequences of the fateful, centuries-old encounter between Africa and the West.
French delineates the betrayal and greed of the West-often aided and abetted by Africa's own leaders-that have given rise to the increasing exploitation of Africa's natural resources and its human beings. Coarse self-interest and outright greed once generated a need for the continent's rubber, cotton, gold and diamonds, not to mention slaves; now the attractions include offshore oil reserves and minerals like coltan, which powers cellular phones.
He takes us inside Nigeria, Liberia, Mali and the Congo, examining with unusual insight the legacy of colonization in the lives of contemporary Africans. He looks at the tragedies of the AIDS epidemic, the Ebola outbreak and the genocide that resulted in millions of deaths in Rwanda and the Congo. He makes clear the systematic failure of Western political leaders-the nurturers of tyrants such as Mobuto Sese Seko and Laurent Kabila, whose stories are told here in full detail-and the brutal excesses of the CIA.
In helping us to better understand the continent, and indeed Africans themselves, French helps us see as well the hope and possibility that lie in the myriad cultural strengthsof Africa.
French delineates the betrayal and greed of the West-often aided and abetted by Africa's own leaders-that have given rise to the increasing exploitation of Africa's natural resources and its human beings. Coarse self-interest and outright greed once generated a need for the continent's rubber, cotton, gold and diamonds, not to mention slaves; now the attractions include offshore oil reserves and minerals like coltan, which powers cellular phones.
He takes us inside Nigeria, Liberia, Mali and the Congo, examining with unusual insight the legacy of colonization in the lives of contemporary Africans. He looks at the tragedies of the AIDS epidemic, the Ebola outbreak and the genocide that resulted in millions of deaths in Rwanda and the Congo. He makes clear the systematic failure of Western political leaders-the nurturers of tyrants such as Mobuto Sese Seko and Laurent Kabila, whose stories are told here in full detail-and the brutal excesses of the CIA.
In helping us to better understand the continent, and indeed Africans themselves, French helps us see as well the hope and possibility that lie in the myriad cultural strengthsof Africa.
About the Author
About the Author
Howard W. French is a senior writer for the New York Times. After teaching at the University of Ivory Coast in the early 1980s, he began his journalism career writing about Africa for the Washington Post, Africa News, The Economist and numerous other publications. Since 1986, he has reported for the Times from Central America, the Caribbean, West and Central Africa, Japan, Korea, and now China. In 1997, his coverage of the fall of Mobuto Sese Seko won the Overseas Press Club of America's award for best newspaper interpretation of foreign affairs. French was born in Washington, D.C., and now lives in Shanghai with his wife and their two children. www.howardfrench.com
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"Lively . . . vivid . . . This is the best book about Africa to come out in some time." -Chicago Tribune "An often riveting eyewitness account of the chaos enveloping West Africa in the 1990s." -San Francisco Chronicle
"Vivid, disquieting. . . . French's engagement with the continent goes far deeper than most Africa-based correspondents." -Washington Monthly "Remarkable. . . . This deeply empathetic account of a region in crisis deserves to be read widely." -Foreign Affairs "[French's] skill as a writer -- in particular his telling anecdotes, fascinating historical narratives and prescriptions for a complex continent he clearly loves -- is compelling. . . . He succeeds brilliantly in helping readers understand the continent and its people." -The Globe & Mail (Toronto) "Exhilarating for its frankness. . . . A triumph of passionate reporting." -The New York Review of Books
"A passionate, heartbreaking, and ultimately heartbroken book. . . . [French] has a deeper and more profound connection to the continent than most journalists." -The Nation
"A brilliant and nuanced meditation on the complexities of contemporary Africa. Essential reading for those of us who live Africa and for all those who wish to gain a fuller understanding of a continent that is sprawling, mysterious, and endlessly fascinating. Howard French's voice is both fresh and enlightening."-Henry Louis Gates, Jr. "Persuasive. . . . The tone is grim, but French also finds an unquenchable African spirit." -The Washington Post Book World
"Even when you've been there or know the basic facts, Howard French takes you to Africa in a way you've never been taken before. His superb writing, his keen insight and passion-driven analysis combine to make A Continent for the Taking a great read for those who find the continent as fasinating as he does, as well as for those who need to know why we do." -Charlayne Hunter Gault, author of In My Place
"French gives us the context necessary to understand Africa's current problems. . . . Broad-ranging. . . . Passionate." -American Prospect
"French's great advantage in telling his tale is his depth of perspective. . . . Rare is the book on Africa that gets passed around among policymakers in Washington-we can only hope this becomes one of them."-St. Petersburg Times "Many Western narratives tend to exonerate the West for Africa's seemingly endless woes, placing blame squarely on the continent. Some African accounts tend to blame the West entirely. Howard French strikes the right balance, showing that Africa's ills are rooted in internal and external factors but which are clearly linked."-Ngugi wa Thiong'o, author of Weep Not, Child
"A harrowing picture of a continental catastrophe." -Hartford Courant
"Vivid, disquieting. . . . French's engagement with the continent goes far deeper than most Africa-based correspondents." -Washington Monthly "Remarkable. . . . This deeply empathetic account of a region in crisis deserves to be read widely." -Foreign Affairs "[French's] skill as a writer -- in particular his telling anecdotes, fascinating historical narratives and prescriptions for a complex continent he clearly loves -- is compelling. . . . He succeeds brilliantly in helping readers understand the continent and its people." -The Globe & Mail (Toronto) "Exhilarating for its frankness. . . . A triumph of passionate reporting." -The New York Review of Books
"A passionate, heartbreaking, and ultimately heartbroken book. . . . [French] has a deeper and more profound connection to the continent than most journalists." -The Nation
"A brilliant and nuanced meditation on the complexities of contemporary Africa. Essential reading for those of us who live Africa and for all those who wish to gain a fuller understanding of a continent that is sprawling, mysterious, and endlessly fascinating. Howard French's voice is both fresh and enlightening."-Henry Louis Gates, Jr. "Persuasive. . . . The tone is grim, but French also finds an unquenchable African spirit." -The Washington Post Book World
"Even when you've been there or know the basic facts, Howard French takes you to Africa in a way you've never been taken before. His superb writing, his keen insight and passion-driven analysis combine to make A Continent for the Taking a great read for those who find the continent as fasinating as he does, as well as for those who need to know why we do." -Charlayne Hunter Gault, author of In My Place
"French gives us the context necessary to understand Africa's current problems. . . . Broad-ranging. . . . Passionate." -American Prospect
"French's great advantage in telling his tale is his depth of perspective. . . . Rare is the book on Africa that gets passed around among policymakers in Washington-we can only hope this becomes one of them."-St. Petersburg Times "Many Western narratives tend to exonerate the West for Africa's seemingly endless woes, placing blame squarely on the continent. Some African accounts tend to blame the West entirely. Howard French strikes the right balance, showing that Africa's ills are rooted in internal and external factors but which are clearly linked."-Ngugi wa Thiong'o, author of Weep Not, Child
"A harrowing picture of a continental catastrophe." -Hartford Courant
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
Vintage
Pub date:
2005-04-12
Length:
320 pages
The Allstora Membership
Membership Perks:
- Save 30% on all online store purchases
- Exclusive access to author's content
- You pay less, but authors still earn double
Membership Terms:
First Month:
$0.00
Monthly price:
$5.00
- To access membership discount simply log in and add to cart, discount applied automatically.
- One month free trial, cancel anytime. Membership renews on the 15th of each month.