African Political Thought

'For readers interested in an accessible overview of a selected cast of characters who played a significant role in Africa's independence struggles and post-independence development, this is a worthwhile read.' -- Survival 'This is no ordinary political history. Told through Africans' words and deeds, and a veteran's lens from the field, it is an intellectual genealogy of independence in its many meanings. It urges us to read Black thinkers if we are to grasp humanity's future.' -- Shobana Shankar, Associate Professor of History, Stony Brook University, and author of 'An Uneasy Embrace: Africa, India and the Spectre of Race' 'An authoritative and seminal treatise on African political thought, concentrating on selected leaders. Chan contextualises and critiques ideas about African liberation, and its hopes and contradictions in practice, often resulting in mismanagement, corruption and authoritarianism.' -- Hasu Patel, Emeritus Professor, University of Zimbabwe, and former Zimbabwean ambassador 'This truly brilliant book is an authoritative text on the history of African political thought. Historically grounded, distinctively interdisciplinary, insightfully diasporic, and lucidly analytical, this erudite and engaging work will certainly emerge as a major text in African political studies.' -- Olufemi Vaughan, Alfred Sargent Lee & Mary Ames Lee Professor of African Studies, Amherst College

Stephen Chan OBE is Professor of World Politics at SOAS University of London. He has advised governments, opposition leaders and liberation movements in many parts of Africa, and negotiated on the African side of delegations to Beijing. His many books include Spear to the West, also published by Hurst.