The Scramble for Africa

This is the second major revision of this key Seminar Study which was originally published in 1974. The book contrasts the Victorian image of Africa with what has been revealed by recent research on the history of Africa. Professor Chamberlain uses case histories from Egypt to Zimbabwe to examine the European partition and conquest of the continent. For the new edition she brings up-to-date the historiography of the explanations offered for the phenomenon, Euro-centric or `peripheral'', economic, political or strategic. Revised, reset and reissued in the larger format now established for the series, the new edition is sure to be welcomed by a new generation of students.

In 1870 barely one tenth of Africa was under European control. By 1914 only about one tenth – Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and Liberia – was not. This book offers a clear and concise account of the ‘scramble’ or ‘race’ for Africa, the period of around 20 years during which European powers carved up the continent with little or no consultation of its inhabitants.

In her classic overview, M.E. Chamberlain:

• Contrasts the Victorian image of Africa with what we now know of African civilisation and history
• Examines in detail case histories from Egypt to Zimbabwe
• Argues that the history and background of Africa are as important as European politics and diplomacy in understanding the ''scramble''
• Considers the historiography of the topic, taking into account Marxist and anti-Marxist, financial, economic, political and strategic theories of European imperialism

This indispensible introduction, now in a fully updated third edition, provides the most accessible survey of the ‘scramble for Africa’ currently available.  The new edition includes primary source material unpublished elsewhere, new illustrations and additional pedagogical features. It is the perfect starting point for any study of this period in African history.