Book Review The Scramble For Africa, M.E Chamberlain.

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Lee Roxburgh

Book Review

The Scramble For Africa, M.E Chamberlain.

Chamberlain, M,E. The Scramble For Africa. 2nd ed. (Longman. Harlow. 1999).

This is the second edition of M.E Chamberlain's The Scramble for Africa, originally published in 1974, as part of the 'Seminar Studies in History Series'. Becoming a popular book for undergraduate courses, it is probably best described as a textbook, as the main text is supported by primary sources in the final section of the book (the documents section). The book's format is comprised of four parts. The first, describes the background to how Europeans have viewed Africa, particularly the Victorian image. The second, analyses the scramble on a regional basis, starting with the British occupation of Egypt in 1882, and ending with Fashoda and the Anglo French agreements of 1904. The third is a conclusion, providing an overview of academic theories regarding the subject, including the views of academics such as J.A Hobson, and Robinson and Gallagher. With the final part being a collection of documents that are referred to in the main body of the text.

The author, M.E Chamberlain, is professor Emerita, University of Wales, Swansea. Her other works include Decolonisation: The Fall of the European Empires, and Britain and India: The Interaction of Two Peoples. The partition of Africa (scramble) and New Imperialism is an area of history that has been studied in detail. Other academics who have produced work on the subject include J.A Hobson: Imperialism a Study, who popularised the 'surplus capital'

Lee Roxburgh

theory. D.K Fieldhouse who states that: “Imperialism may best be seen as the extension into the periphery of the political struggle in Europe”. Ronald Robinson and John Gallagher, who in Africa and the Victorians: The Official Mind of Imperialism emphasise strategic over economic reasons for the partition. Other works by the pair include their famous 1953 article 'Imperialism of Free Trade' and the 1962 article 'The Partition of Africa', in which they argue that the partition was a ‘remarkable freak’. Also, Professors Cain and Hopkins, who revived the idea that the financial sector played a key role.

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Although very concise, the book provides a very good overview and starting point for studying the partition, which is why it has been popular undergraduate reading since the first edition. An area where Chamberlain's Scramble for Africa differs from other texts on the subject is that it gives equal attention to African history as we now understand it, rather than just concentrating on the diplomacy and power politics of Europe. This is a good addition and sets the background well, as then understanding of African history has advanced a great deal in the last 40 years.  As Chamberlain states, ...

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