About this item
The end of World War II signaled the end of the European African empires. In 1945, four African countries were independent; by 1963, 30 African states created the Organization of African Unity. The 1960s were a time of optimism as Africans enjoyed their new independence, witnessed increases in prosperity and prepared to tackle their political and economic problems in their own way. By the 1990s, however, these high hopes had been dashed. Dictatorship by strongmen, corruption, civil wars and genocide, widespread poverty and the interventions and manipulations of the major powers had all relegated Africa to the position of an aid "basket case," the world's poorest and least-developed continent. By exploring developments over the last 15 years, including the impact of China, new IT technology and the Arab Spring, the rise of Nigeria as Africa's leading country and the recent refugee crisis, Guy Arnold brings his landmark history of modern Africa up to date and provides a fresh perspective on this misunderstood continent.
About the Author
Guy Arnold (born 1932) is a British author based in Marylebone, London, and a specialist in north-south relations who writes mainly in the areas of African history and politics, and international affairs. Over the course of his career, he has worked with the Overseas Development Institute, he created a National Youth Service in Zambia in the period before its independence in 1964, and was Director of the Africa Bureau (a non-governmental lobby group) from 1968 to 1972, as well as working as a consultant in the field. He is the author of more than 50 books including travelogues and educational books for children. He is an older brother to Bruce Arnold, a novelist and journalist based in Dublin.
