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December 28th, 2016

Reading List: Most Popular @AfricaAtLSE Book Reviews of 2016

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Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Blog Editor

December 28th, 2016

Reading List: Most Popular @AfricaAtLSE Book Reviews of 2016

1 comment

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Welcome to our look back to our most popular book reviews of 2016.

  1. Book Review – Understanding Contemporary Ethiopia: Monarchy, Revolution and the Legacy of Meles Zenawi Edited by Gérard Prunier and Éloi Ficquet – An impressive volume, one which contains a wealth of information on the historical, cultural and religious underpinnings of the landlocked country in the Horn of Africa, says Nick Branson (@NHBranson).

  2. Book Review: Aid and Authoritarianism in Africa: Development without Democracy Edited by Tobias Hagmann and Filip Reyntjens – This is a wide-ranging volume which examines the intersection between the aid industry and African politics from a variety of perspectives. It should provoke new thinking among both academics and practitioners, says Nick Branson (@NHBranson).

  3. Book Review: Alex de Waal, the Real Politics of the Horn of Africa – Alex De Waal’s in-depth knowledge of the Horn of Africa stands out in his latest book, says Duncan Green (@fp2p).

  4. Book Review – Suturing the City: Living Together in Congo’s Urban Worlds by Filip De Boeck and Sammy Baloji – An analysis that stretches our thinking about urban life. LSE’s Kate Dawson (@KateEDaws) calls this book an important reference for anyone interested in urban life.

  5. Book Review: #RhodesMustFall: Nibbling at Resilient Colonialism in South Africa by Francis B Nyamnjoh – Timely, balanced and informative, but aspects of the book will leave the reader craving more says Simukai Chigudu (@SimuChigudu).

  6. Book Review – Facets of Power: Politics, Profits and People in the Making of Zimbabwe’s Blood Diamonds edited by Richard Saunders and Tinashe Nyamunda – An extremely timely volume which chronicles a turbulent decade following the discovery of alluvial diamonds in Chiadzwa, Mutare district, in 2006. Detailing how a national asset was commandeered by a small clique, nine expert authors examine the pitfalls of international and domestic attempts to constrain elite predation. The text provides important lessons which should resonate far beyond the Marange diamond fields, says Nick Branson (@NHBranson).

  7. Book Review: Ebola: How a People’s Science Helped End an Epidemic by Paul Richards – One of the first books to provide an in-depth analysis of the recent pandemic in West Africa, The author Paul Richards has done an excellent job in bringing to the fore community efforts in responding to the virus, says Jamie Hitchen (@jchitchen).

  8. Book Review: The Future of African Peace Operations: From the Janjaweed to Boko Haram Edited by Cedric de Coning, Linnea Gelot and John Karlsrud – The first book to provide a comprehensive overview and analysis of African peace operations, it is a timely contribution particularly for those already familiar with the larger history of African peacekeeping, says Richard Stupart (@wheretheroad).

  9. Book Review: Crossing the Color Line: Race, Sex, and the Contested Politics of Colonialism in Ghana by Carina Ray – Yovanka Perdigao (@yova_nka) praises this volume for dismantling preconceptions of interracial couples in colonial Ghana.

  10. Book Review: Making Sense of the Central African Republic Edited by Louisa Lombard and Tatiana Carayannis – Rebecca Sutton (@RebeccaAnneLaw) says that this work goes a long way in reversing the dearth of scholarly analysis of the Central African Republic.

 

The views expressed in this post are those of the author and in no way reflect those of the Africa at LSE blog or the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Posted In: Book Reviews | Conflict | Education | Featured | Health | Society | Urbanisation

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