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The Shackled Continent: Africa's Past, Present and Future
 
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The Shackled Continent: Africa's Past, Present and Future (Paperback)

by Robert Guest (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Pan Books; New edition edition (1 Jul 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0330419722
  • ISBN-13: 978-0330419727
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 13 x 2.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 10,574 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #10 in  Books > History > Countries & Regions > Africa > 20th Century
    #13 in  Books > Business, Finance & Law > Economics > History
    #17 in  Books > Business, Finance & Law > Biographies & Histories > Business & Economic History

Product Description

Review
"'I doubt whether there is a better brief introduction to the travails of modern Africa and their causes' Anthony Daniels, Sunday Telegraph 'He is a lively and observant reporter who can describe, in a breezy no-nonsense style, the horrors and miseries of Africans in the interior...The reader can learn much from this lively and outspoken book' Anthony Sampson, Guardian 'A provocative read' The Glasgow Herald"

Anthony Daniels, Sunday Telegraph
I doubt whether there is a better brief introduction to the travails of modern Africa and their causes

See all Product Description

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The Shackled Continent: Africa's Past, Present and Future
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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Rays of hope in the darkness of despair, 28 Aug 2005
By Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)   
In this captivating book, the author shares his experiences of Sub-Saharan Africa by exploring the reasons for the region's abject poverty and suffering. Guest takes into account factors like for example climate and history, whilst quoting African writers like Chinua Achebe, Themba Sono and Chenjerai Hove.

The text often focuses on rays of hope amidst the despair so the book is not a relentless tale of woe. Guest identifies negative issues like tribalism and corruption and the waste of aid money while pointing out positive developments in places like Botswana, South Africa, Uganda and Senegal.

He examines the good results in countries that follow sound fiscal and monetary policies as opposed to the vampire state in places like Zimbabwe or the failed state in e.g. Congo (Zaire). A very important point that Guest makes is that Africa can develop and improve the lives of its people without sacrificing its culture. Japan is proof enough that modernity does not necessarily threaten an indigenous culture.

Guest discusses Rwanda's holocaust and religious clashes in Nigeria, takes a balanced look at South Africa's successes and its failures like its lack of an AIDS policy and criticises western countries for their agricultural protectionism that is holding Africa back. More Western aid is not the answer, and in some places mineral wealth has been more of a curse than a blessing.

He makes a plea for increased trade and praises the stability that exists in those countries where property rights are respected. He also surveys the situation of the media, where both oppression and lack of money are impediments to a free press. The book ends on an optimistic note with the example of a young man in the KwaZulu province of South Africa having become a successful businessman after abandoning a life of violence.

The book concludes with bibliographic notes and an index. The Shackled Continent can be heartbreaking at times, but the overall tone is optimistic, and realistically so. The book leaves an impression of hope and the reader can only pray that good government may soon come to Africa. The title of South Africa's national anthem by Enoch Sontonga, says it all: Nkosi sikelele i'Afrika, meaning God bless Africa.

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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating one by one examination of Africa's challenges, 18 April 2008
By Gordon Eldridge (Southport, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Chapter by chapter, Guest takes up a number of the challenges facing Africa and examines them. Beginning with the rapacious and rabidly corrupt power lechers who have headed up the governments of many, if not most African countries since independence, he then moves through topics such as how abundant mineral wealth and foreign arms supplies have lengthened the violent power struggles that have wracked the continent, the social and economic devastation of the AIDS plague, how tribal loyalties have been exploited by those wishing to seize or maintain power, why Western aid policies have largely failed and how trade would be a better alternative.

The book's portrait of Africa is not all negative. The remarkable economic growth of Botswana and the huge (though belated) success by Uganda and Senegal in tackling the AIDS problem are discussed. The post-apartheid successes and challenges in South Africa are examined and some cautious reasons for hope are put forward.

Within each of the topics examined, Guest uses a mixture of illustrative historical examples and stories from his own personal experience as a journalist for The Economist in Africa to support his arguments. His style is engaging and very easy to read and his comments are perceptive and enlightening. If I have one criticism of the book, it would be that each of the topics discussed is largely self-contained with few threads connecting the various arguments. Overall an extremely informative read, however.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide to modern african life, 17 Feb 2006
By S. AUSTIN - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book by the Economist's African reporter is a fantastically well written guide to the reasons why Africa is the way it is now. His conclusion is that it is because of poor leadership and that if that was improved everything would get better. He fails to explain why virtually every country south of the Sahara has such poor leaders. This somewhat undermines his cautiously optimistic conclusions that Africa may be turning the corner.

Personally I think he is correct in his diagnosis but wrong in his conclusion and that Africa's decline will continue. There have been many false dawns in Africa and each of them have been followed by a darker night. This will not change and Africa will become globally more irrelevent except as a reason for the rich world to indulge in hand wringing.

Buy this book if you truly want to understand modern Africa. Also it is beautifully written and highly informative while be entertaining.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening if a bit one sided
I think this is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in why sub-Saharan Africa is in such a state. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Lendrick

5.0 out of 5 stars A hard hitting view on Africa
By its own admission, this book sets out to answer the problem, "Why is Africa poor?". The writer makes no apologies for his answer. Read more
Published 14 months ago by D. E. Chukwumerije

2.0 out of 5 stars ok, a little wishy-washy at times
This is a synopsis of only a few of the major trials and tribulations of the African continent but its style is simplistic and this is not a book which should be read in... Read more
Published 21 months ago by A. Fairbairn

5.0 out of 5 stars Sharp and entertaining analysis of Africa's problems
Why is Africa the only continent that has not seen economic growth in the last 40 years? It is all too easy to blame just AIDS and the legacy of colonialism for all the problems... Read more
Published on 5 Jun 2007 by Linda Oskam

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Wothwhile
This is a beautifully written book written with immense authority and insight; combined with compassion. Read more
Published on 29 April 2007 by Jacquie-D

5.0 out of 5 stars An enlightening read
This is a beautifully written work that provides a fascinating insight into the continent's history, underdevelopment and civil strife. Read more
Published on 20 Dec 2006 by Peter Jones

3.0 out of 5 stars Why can't those Africans be more those Asians?
This is undoubtedly a well-researched and often entertaining study of contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa, written by someone who genuinely cares about the future of the continent... Read more
Published on 27 Oct 2006 by Seamus Enright

4.0 out of 5 stars Tragedy and hope
The author shares his experiences of Sub-Saharan Africa, exploring the reasons for the region's abject poverty and suffering. Read more
Published on 11 Aug 2004 by Pieter

4.0 out of 5 stars A fresh and honest look at African problems
Guest takes a light hearted look at some of Africa's major problems and provides constructive and fair suggestions. Read more
Published on 21 Jun 2004 by Seb M

1.0 out of 5 stars Agba ki wa l'ooja, ki ori oomoo tuntun woo
Reviewer: Remi Niyi from Nigeria/UK
The very difficulty of writing, and translating, this Yoruba proverb: "Agba ki wa l'ooja, k'ori oomoo tuntun woon" into English highlights... Read more
Published on 9 Jun 2004 by iyaalata

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