FIRST-HAND POLITICAL REPORTING FROM ENVELOPEBOOKS

Michael Holman's eye-witness reports on sub-Saharan Africa for the Financial Times and other media provide rare insights into the region's post independence successes and setbacks.

From his accounts of atrocities by Rhodesian forces in the 1960s to his interviews with those who would lead Africa into its own future and assessments of how they actually performed, Holman brings together a lifetime of running commentaries on a continent he grew up in, knows acutely and loves dearly.

Written with the benefit of unique access, Holman's writings still hold out hope for Africa, in spite of decades of disappointment at the structural mismanagement of the nations themselves, the flawed policies of donor countries and other funders, and the hateful legacy of colonialism.

Essential reading for anyone wanting an introduction to the first half century of Africa's post-colonial history.