The Decolonization Reader. James D. Le Sueur, ed. New York: Routledge, 2003. 462 pp.

Print/Download PDF Version [Instructions: Print/Download PDF]

---

In his portrait of decolonization, Jan Vansina states that:

Legitimacy is gone, citizens are alienated, the intelligentsia dream of revolution or reform, some others expect
liberation or a millennium, most have sunk into a gloomy resignation. Naked power and bribes erode the law.
In turn, the strongly centralized state has lost much of its effective grip, because its legal directives are ignored,
except under duress or when they seem to be opportune. (p. 425)

This is one of the perspectives found in decolonization studies that arose out of an effort to incorporate both nationalist and metropolitan approaches, unlike the traditional study of decolonization. James Le Sueur's book, The Decolonization Reader , draws upon this new approach, as he brings together original and important perspectives on the history of colonialism and decolonization in Africa and Asia . His book is divided into eight parts with twenty-two articles from twenty-three contributors and an extensive bibliography that offer comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives of decolonization studies. Consistent with its objective, the narrowly focused articles do provide an introduction to the history of decolonization in Africa and Asia to a general audience.

Part one examines the definition of decolonization by focusing on imperialist history and post-colonial theory. In doing so, the authors emphasize problems of undifferentiated, ahistorical analysis and the need to shift decolonization scholarship from a Western perspective to a more even-handed perspective without Western biases. Accordingly, decolonization cannot be understood by merely focusing on national politics and anticolonial politics, but it should include the challenges presented by history and postcolonial theorists.

Part two discusses of the role of metropolitan and international politics, and examines how European governments deal with the issues of decolonization based on their own imperial interests. "The Imperialism of Decolonization," spells out how British and Americans sought to consistently manipulate the political climate in the colonies to serve their own interests and even challenge one another. "Decolonizing French Universalism" articulates the paradox that French intellectuals faced as a result of the decolonization of French Algeria -- defending the universalism of their values while siding with Algerians "that denied this universalism" (p. 115).

In part three, the focus shifts to issues of economy and labor. "Decolonization and European Integration" explains how the Second World War helped to facilitate Britain 's decolonization and integration into Europe , reasoning that British imperial interests and European interests were one in the same. "Our Strike" examines the railway strike in French West Africa, where railway workers united for five and a half months, shutting down rail traffic to gain higher wages and benefits "within certain legal and institutional structures" (p. 156, 180).

Part Four analyzes nationalism and anticolonialism in three articles that discuss the role that nationalism and anticolonialism -- with their ties to religion, social customs, and ethnicity -- played in ending colonialism, even while they conflicted with one another (as Nkrumah's nationalism and Pan-African vision did with Asante nationalism).

Two of the most significant aspects of European colonialism, race and ethnicity, are covered in part five. "Decolonization, Demonization, and Difference" examines South Africa 's transition from an apartheid country -- where South Africans identified themselves as Afrikaner nationalists or African nationalists -- to a post-apartheid inclusive country. "Mau Maus of the Mind" discusses the British attempt to prolong their reign by assimilating educated Kenyans.

In part six, the topic is gender and sexuality. "The Mau Mau Rebellion Women" argues that, contrary to popular beliefs, Kenyan women were the key factor in achieving the objectives of Mau Mau. The part seven articles "Alcohol and Politics in Northern Rhodesia," "Football and FIFA's African Constituency," and "Licensing Leisure" all examine how nationalists channeled beliefs and energies devoted to social activities into instruments of liberation. The final section discusses different views of decolonization and urges historians not reproduce Western views on stereotypes and teleologies in their analysis of colonial rule.

This book draws upon both metropolitan and nationalist approaches, allowing a more insightful view of colonialism and decolonization than traditionally has been the case. Students and scholars who want to explore the effects of colonialism and decolonization should read this book.

Aaron Peron Ogletree
University of Minnesota Law School