The second edition of An Introduction to African Politics is an ideal textbook for those new to the study of this fascinating continent. It gets to the heart of the politics of this part of the world. How is modern Africa still influenced by its colonial past? How do strong ethnic identities on the continent affect government? Why has the military been so influential? Why do African states have such difficulty managing their economies? How does African democracy differ from democracy in the West? These are the sort of questions tackled by the book. The result is a textbook that identifies the essential features of African politics, allowing students to grasp the recurring political patterns that have dominated this continent since independence.

Features and benefits of An Introduction to African Politics:

• It is thematically organised, with individual chapters exploring issues such as colonialism, ethnicity, nationalism, religion, social class, ideology, legitimacy, authority, sovereignty and democracy.
• It identifies key recurrent themes such as the competitive relationships between the African state, its civil society and external interests.
• It contains useful boxed case studies at the end of each chapter, including: Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, Somalia, Ghana, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Algeria.
• Each chapter concludes with key terms and definitions as well as questions, advice on further reading and useful notes and references.
• It includes a guide to African politics internet resources.
• It is clearly and accessibly written by an experienced teacher of the subject.

Students seeking a comprehensive survey to help in their understanding of the complex theories and events that characterise the politics of post-colonial Africa will find this textbook essential reading.

The Author

Alex Thomson is a Principal Lecturer of Politics at Coventry University. His books include Constructive Engagement: US Foreign Policy Towards South Africa, 1981– 1988 (Avebury, 1996) and Get Set for Politics (with Keith Faulks and Ken Phillips, Edinburgh University Press, 2003).