Angola: The Weight Of History( Series - Columbia/hurst )

Multiparty elections in 2008 will, it is hoped, cement a transition towards peaceful stability in Angola, which has suffered from over forty years of violent civil war. Since the end of the conflict in 2002, there has been renewed optimism that Angola, a former Portuguese colony with abundant natural resources, would finally evolve a political system that would ensure the country's sustained economic and social development. Some scholars and economists argue that the Angolan people could be on the cusp of a giant leap forward, based on the state's booming oil sector, which would lay the groundwork for long-term economic prosperity. But is this a realistic scenario?

Patrick Chabal and Nuno Vidal's "Angola" is a thorough introduction to the history and present-day reality of one of Africa's most complex countries. Contributors, who are all leading scholars in the field, offer incisive and original analyses of Angola's colonial history, its economic, political, and social evolution since independence, its current structural issues, and its prospects for the future. Essays begin with a probing look at Angola's difficult past and then discuss its move away from hegemonic domination towards a multiparty political system and a civil society.