The Scramble for Africa

Having spent six of the best years of my professional life as a surgical missionary to Wasolo, a remote hospital in the northern reaches of the tropical rain forest of Congo (DRC), in retirement I have time to read more extensively on European colonization. Unfortunately, while the content of this huge book is highly informative and the prose of top quality, the print is so fine, the paperback book so thick, the pages so small, that even with magnification and superb illumination I can read only one line at a time. The book appears to be brand new, as though whoever owned it before me was afraid to open it widely more than a few times less it come apart. Hope to do better with the hard back copy that costs only pennies more.

It would be an understatement to write that Thomas Pakenham embraced an ambitious project in crafting a comprehensive, single-volume history of the European colonization of Africa over the course of some four decades a century ago. Few authors could have succeeded after having bitten off so much. Fewer still could have made it accessible to the layman and an immensely enjoyable read at that. Pakenham is the rare talent able to pull off such a feat. The story Pakenham tells involves countless actors, but at the center of the great conquest from beginning to end is the Belgian King Leopold, whose imperial actions, clothed in the righteous language of development and humanitarianism, did more than anyone else to spur on the exploration and exploitation of Africa. As Pakenham describes him, "Leopold was a Coburg millionaire, a constitutional monarch malgre lui, a throwback from the age of absolutism, with the brain of a Wall Street financier and the hide of an African rhinoceros." From his ostentatious palace at Laeken, Leopold kept a close eye on developments in the exploration of Africa and saw in it his great opportunity to make a fortune, all in the name of the "3 Cs": Christianity, Commerce, and Civilization. The "3 Cs" served as the foundation for most European imperialist of the time - Henry Stanley, his rival Pierre Brazza, Sir George Goldie, Frederick Lugard and others. A twenty-first century cynic could argue that the European intervention in Africa was motivated by capitalist greed, pure and simple. But Pakenham argues that a genuine desire to help the continent develop through the guiding light of Christianity was a central and perhaps the most important motivating factor in the decision to engage in African adventures by key elements in London, Paris and elsewhere. That said, commerce provided the extra pull that made large-scale action inevitable. After the early reports from Livingstone, himself a genuine and sincere Christian humanitarian, Africa captured the fascination of Europe with the potential of untold riches in this last unexplored frontier on earth. Indeed, the early years of "the Scramble" resembled a stock market bubble as investors rushed in motivated primarily by the fear of losing out by dithering on the sidelines. One of the more surprising aspects of European colonialism in Africa, especially the British in the early years of the Scramble, is how much they conquered with such little direct government investment. London frequently leveraged private enterprise to do the heavy lifting on the ground and direct foreign investment to develop the local infrastructure. Companies were given charters by London and had the exclusive right to make their fortunes under the protective flag of the British Empire. The most notable examples were Sir George Goldie's Royal Niger Company that exploited the trade in modern day Nigeria and Cecil Rhodes' various enterprises mining diamonds and gold in the republics of Sout

Really a remarkable book in that it covers so much goings-on, countries, kingdoms, people, etc but does so in an enjoyable way. Very thorough and explicit in details and a great reference book- and also is a joy to read. Sometimes, I admit, the chapters can jump from subject to subject but I think this is more due to the scope of the work and not the author's fault. It covers so much information that I couldn't imagine trying to organize such a book. Also, satisifying, the work is honest and not as 'politically correct' as most modern books written about the colonialism in Africa. It tells the good, the bad, and the ugly of both the European elements and native elements in the tragic tale. It also fascinatingly details the politics in Europe and American with regard to the 'scramble'. Highly recommended.

When I study an atlas and look at the borders of any European Country, I see few straight lines. When I turn to the page on Africa, there are many straight lines. The story behind these lines is one of greed, cruelty, heroism, misguided pride and sadness.Thomas Pakenham has written more than a book. He has written a history lesson. I came away from this beginning to know and understand present day problems in Africa - by looking at the universal starting point for society's problems, history. All the major players are here. France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Arabia and last, but not least, my own country - Great Britain.The colonial cake was originally fought over the Far East, The Americas, The Indian Subcontinent - until the European, a little late (1870), and, reluctantly at first, found the great prize of Africa. Gold, Diamonds, Game, Land, Copper...Then the scramble, the squabling, the division. An adventure built on the heroics of early explorers ended up in tears.. on all sides. George Pakenham tells you how, in a sweeping, impartial account. He lets the reader decide. I guarantee that if you read this book, your views on Africa will be changed for ever.

I found this to be a fascinating and readable account of how European countries descended upon the African continent at the same time and proceeded colonize it. One major sin of most history books is that the authors are brilliant researchers, but dull, dull writers. Pakenham, however, writes with flare, and brings the personalities involved in this part of history to life. It's a thick volume, but it didn't seem thick to me once I began reading it.