I was recently asked to make a list of books on Africa. When I asked if it was to be a list of fiction or non-fiction, the response was “both.”

But, for space and time’s sake, here’s a not-by-any-means comprehensive list of 10 non-fiction books I’ve found useful during my travels around the continent. If I included African fiction, this list would be never-ending.

The State of Africa (or The Fate of Africa) by Martin Meredith.

Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles by Richard Dowden

My Traitor’s Heart by Rian Malan

Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town by Paul Theroux

King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild

Journey without Maps by Graham Greene

How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo

The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuscinski

Honourable mention goes to I Write What I Like by Steve Biko.