My Nigeria

Five Decades of Independence

AvPeter Cunliffe-Jones

Inbunden, Engelska, 2010

Del i serien St. Martins Press-3PL

404 kr

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Beskrivning

His nineteenth century cousin was paddled ashore by slaves, and twisted the arms of tribal chiefs to sign away their territorial rights in the oil rich Niger Delta. Sixty years later, his grandfather helped craft Nigeria's constitution and negotiate its independence, the first of its kind in Africa. Four decades later, journalist Peter Cunliffe-Jones arrived as a journalist in the capital, Lagos, just as military rule ended, to face the country his family had a hand in shaping. Part family memoir, part history, My Nigeria is a piercing look at the colonial legacy in an emerging power in Africa. Marshalling his deep knowledge of the economic, political, and historic forces, Cunliffe-Jones surveys the country's colonial past and explains why British rule led to collapse at independence. He also takes an unflinching look at the complicated country today: from email hoaxes and political corruption to the vast natural resources that make it one of the most powerful African nations; from life in Lagos's virtually unknown and exclusive neighborhoods to the violent conflicts between the numerous tribes that make up this populous African nation.As Nigeria celebrates its five decades of independence, this is a timely and personal look at a captivating country that is still due to achieve its great potential.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2010-09-01
Mått:164 x 243 x 23 mm
Vikt:432 g
Format:Inbunden
Språk:Engelska
Serie:St. Martins Press-3PL
Antal sidor:256
Förlag:Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN:9780230620230

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Mer om författaren

PETER CUNLIFFE-JONES has been Foreign Correspondent for over 20 years for The Economist, The Independent and the Paris-based Agence France Presse news agency where he is now a Senior Editor. Since 1990 he has reported from western Europe, the Balkans, West Africa and East Asia. He is today the agency's head of English-language multimedia news. From 1998- 2003 he was AFP Bureau Chief in Lagos, Nigeria.

Recensioner i media

'Longtime British foreign correspondent Peter Cunliffe-Jones paints a vivid portrait of Nigeria's hydra-headed travails in this passionate, intensely personal book...My Nigeria cannot be bettered.' - The Washington Times '...[My Nigeria] offers some challenging thinking about the nature of a country for which Cunliffe-Jones clearly feels great affection...Pleasingly he quotes Nigerians rather than foreign experts, and tackles religious tensions, oil wealth and woes, and the everyday problems of corruption...Cunliffe-Jones marshals his impressive knowledge of the country to seek out reasons for hope.' - TLS 'Peter Cunliffe-Jones, a veteran journalist, follows in the footsteps of his forefathers-a colonizer and an administrator-and serves up a must read for anybody looking to understand Africa's most dynamic country. In this empathetic, keenly-observed, multigenerational memoir, Cunliffe-Jones expertly lays out the challenges facing Nigeria as it approaches 50 years of independence and finds itself once again on the brink.' - Stephan Faris, author of Forecast 'Nigeria is a big subject, but Cunliffe-Jones cuts it down to size. Enriched by his own experience and his family's own role in the country's past, this vivid book is more than a history. It is like stumbling upon a time capsule.' - Robert Calderisi, author of The Trouble with Africa: Why Foreign Aid Isn't Working 'A very readable history of Nigeria, a personal memoire and a family history all in one book. Peter Cunliffe-Jones has produced a warm and enlightening introduction to this huge, dynamic and fascinating country and its damaged past. Intriguing and sometimes shocking it explains why Nigeria today is the frustrated giant of Africa.' - Richard Dowden, author of Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles 'This is an excellent, readable book both for those who think they know Nigeria and those who are just curious about the country.' - Father Matthew Kukah, Leading Nigerian commentator 'As Nigeria celebrates 50 years of independence this book aids the understanding of both the colonial legacy and the challenges facing the country. Written in a personal manner by a veteran journalist whose family have been deeply involved in Nigeria's history, this very readable account is a worthy addition to the corpus of post-colonial history books, and should be of interest to both historians and the general public.' - Dr Maggie Canvin, Sociolingo.com 'An amazing book, it captures the essence of Nigeria brilliantly. It is the best work I have read on Nigeria.' - Adunola Abiola, daughter of the late M.K.O. Abiola. 'I found the book more than interesting, I found it inspirational. The story of the author's historical connections with Nigeria made it all the more riveting' - former Olympic athlete Kriss Akabusi 'Many thought provoking scenes ... an important book ' - Nigerian Guardian 'Mr. Cunliffe -Jones has produced a sweeping yet intimate portrait of his and his distinguished family's sojourn in Africa's most populous and complicated nation - Nigeria. It is a work that deserves widespread critical attention. A triumph!' - Chinua Achebe, David and Marianna Fisher University Professor, Brown University, USA

Innehållsförteckning

Three Arrivals A Place of Great Potential The Troubles of Nigeria Conquest Another Man's Home My Family Connection Civil War& Bloodshed Misrule& Plunder What you Left Behind Two Hours from Singapore The Cost of Oil Corruption& Trust Divided you Fall Stamp your Feet - Two Histories of Protest Reasons to be Cheerful - Dreams of a New Nigeria Point of Departure