Empires in the Sun

‘The Second World War points back towards a colonial past in Africa, to bygone scrambles for imperial power. It also glances forward to decolonisation. This global conflict is at the centre of Lawrence James’s excellent survey of African history from 1830 to 1990 … Empires in the Sun is a brisk, well-written and jaunty account of European empire-building in Africa … Intrigue and devious political calculations propel the fast-moving narrative … The book is a timely reminder of the complexity of international politics, and the nuanced balance of forces that have shaped our modern world’ – Kwasi Kwarteng * THE TIMES *‘A brisk, colourful account of the past 200 years of African history … A good informative read’ * EVENING STANDARD *He writes as well as ever and is a sure-footed guide. – Edward Paice * THE SPECTATOR *[A] compelling, even-handed and masterful narrative – Saul David * LITERARY REVIEW *

Lawrence James was a founding member of the University of York and then took a research degree at Merton College, Oxford. After a distinguished teaching career he became a full-time writer in 1985 and has emerged as one of the outstanding narrative historians of his generation for works including The Rise and Fall of the British Empire and Churchill and Empire: Portrait of an Imperialist.

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