Raymond F. Betts

Various colonial empires were built up and sustained for several centuries while the undoing of colonial history took place in less than 50 years, with most African counties becoming independent within the decade spanning the 1960s. Decolonization by Raymond F. Betts is published in the Routledge series "Making of the contemporary world" but at just over a hundred pages this small book can merely give a summary. The most useful part is, therefore, perhaps the appendix on pp 99-101, the Chronology of political decolonization which lists the chronological order of decolonization of mainly Asian and African countries. While the book touches on all major issues related to decolonization, it merely provides and introduction to the topic. Readable and interesting, but very limited.… (more)