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.
Adam Bemma is a journalist, humanitarian, and media consultant based in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Adam Bemma 
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