Histories of Colonialism

[bailey_187]

WHat good histories of Colonialism are there?

So far the best i know of are Walter Rodneys and Eric Williams. Paul Barans book was good in parts too.

But most histories by leftists on colonialism are shit (for example A Peoples History of the British Empire). They seem to just list an endless list of crimes, killings and resistance (followed by the slaughter of the resisters). Why is this? When looking at the history of the working class in Europe etc no one does this.

I want to seem how Colonialism affected countries (both the Colony and Colonialist) economic development etc

[ComradeOm]

David Abernethy's The Dynamics of Global Dominance is an interesting look at imperialism through the ages. Its all rather abstract in that its less concerned with actual historical specifics than weaving these into themes, such as the reasons for the rise/fall of empires, interaction between coloniser and native, role of institutions, etc, etc

For the British Empire I'd recommend Piers Brendon's Decline and Fall of the British Empire as a good introduction of... well, what it says on the tin. Caroline Elkins' Imperial Reckoning is a harrowing account of one of the atrocities that marked this - the suppression of the Mau Mau Rebellion in Kenya and the accompanying creation of 'Britain's GULAG'. Very good

I've also heard good things about Thomas Pakenham's Scramble for Africa but I've not read it yet... despite having it on my 'to read' list for ages now

[The Idler]

Haven't read them but no love for Fanon or Parenti?