Publisher's Synopsis
The twentieth century can best be characterized as a century of lost opportunities for Africa. Having been under colonial rule for the first half of the century, by 1965 all but a handful of countries had regained their independence and were poised to take off into an era of development. Despite being saddled with many inherited problems, there was an optimism that, by combining abundant natural and human resources with development planning and the support of the international community, African nations could work towards and finally attain levels of development akin to those of the 'West'.
