Who's Who in Africa - Hardcover

Alan Rake(B.A., Politics, Philosophy and Economics, Brasenose College, Oxford) is Managing Editor of the monthly London-based magazine New African. After living in East, West, and South Africa for a dozen years, he returned to England but still travels regularly throughout the continent. He has specialized in African affairs for the last 35 years, working with many other magazines and newsletters, and is the author of a number of books and reference works on Africa, including a similar Who's Who in Africa last published in Britain in 1973. In preparing the book he has been comprehensively assisted by correspondents based in most of the main African capitals.

Researchers anticipating the staccato style of the familiar Who's Who format will be surprised at the length of each entry in this welcome new biographical source on Africa's political leaders. The author, managing editor of London's New African magazine, aims to present not only facts but "insight, anecdote and comment and a general assessment." Each listing consists of a brief evaluative overview of the subject's personality and career, followed by a longer chronological biography detailing significant events and contributions. The book is arranged alphabetically by nation and then by individual, with an essential personal name index at the end. It covers only countries south of the Sahara and within those nations only those individuals who are politically important or demonstrate "political potential" (e.g., leaders, recent past leaders, and political hopefuls). Entries range in length from half a page to four pages. The spelling is British, and despite the biographical essay format the text tends toward a somewhat dry recital of dates, acronyms, and appointments. While its specialized focus and lengthy entries may have limited the scope of its contents, its 323 articles on individuals from 47 countries will fill a gap in most African collections. Its only comparable competition is the continuing Encyclopaedia Africana Dictionary of African Biography series (Reference Pubns., Vol. 1: 1977, Vol. 2: 1979, Vol. 3: 1992), whose first volume is already 15 years old. For public and academic libraries.
- James Moffet, Baldwin P.L., Birmingham, Mich.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.