The Enduring Relevance of Walter Rodney's 'How Europe Underdeveloped Africa - by Karim Hirji (Paperback)

About the Book

Hirji makes a case that Rodney's seminal work retains its value for understanding where Africa has come from, where it is going, and charting the path towards genuine development for its people. It is a succinct, coherent defence of an intellectual giant who lived and died for humanity, an essential read for anyone interested in Africa.

Book Synopsis

Soon after its publication in 1972, Walter Rodney's How Europe Underdeveloped Africa gained global popularity among students, scholars, activists and people concerned with African affairs. His innovative application of the method of political economy transformed the paradigm for rendition of the continent's past. Because it stridently took the traditional historians and the prevailing neo-colonial order to task, it was also pilloried by the defenders of the status quo. And, in these neoliberal times, mainstream scholars and pundits proclaim that it is no longer relevant for Africa. In Walter Rodney: An Enduring Legacy, Karim Hirji makes a systematic case that, on the contrary, Rodney's seminal work retains its singular value for understanding where Africa has come from, where it is going, and charting the path towards genuine development for its people. After giving a broad picture of Rodney and his times, Hirji examines in detail the criticisms levelled against his work, and conducts a focused review of modern day textbooks on African history. Hirji's succinct, coherent defence of an intellectual giant who lived and died for humanity is an essential read for anyone with an interest in Africa and related regions.

Review Quotes

This book is an impassioned reintroduction for some, and an introduction for others, of work of the great 20th century Marxist and Pan Africanist, Walter Rodney. It demonstrates the continuing relevance of Rodney's insight, frame- work and many conclusions for the struggles facing the African World in the 21st century. - Bill Fletcher, Jr., former President of TransAfrica Forum, writer & activist.