The Fate of Africa: A History of the Continent Since Independence

Meredith surveys the half-century after independence across the continent, tracing how the optimism of the 1960s gave way in many states to coups, one-party rule, kleptocracy and war. Written for a general readership, it gathers a vast cast of leaders and crises into a single accessible narrative. The book became one of the most widely read popular histories of modern Africa, shaping how a broad audience came to understand the trajectory of postcolonial governance and its recurring disappointments.

Its legacy. It became a standard popular introduction to post-independence Africa.