If the Whole of Africa...

About the Book

If the Whole of Africa… (Gdyby cała Afryka) is a collection of reportages and essays by Ryszard Kapuściński, published in 1969 — the fruit of his years as a correspondent of the Polish Press Agency on the African continent. It is one of the author’s earlier treatments of a subject that would accompany him throughout his life and find its crowning achievement in The Shadow of the Sun.

The book combines concrete accounts of events — coups, wars, the birth of independent states — with a broader, almost philosophical reflection on Africa’s fate in the era of decolonisation. Kapuściński writes about the legacy of colonialism and its long shadow, the difficult beginnings of independent statehood, and the paradox of a continent rich in natural resources yet sunk in poverty.

The author consistently resists simplifications and the exoticising of Africa. Instead of a uniform, stereotypical image he shows an immensely diverse continent — a multitude of cultures, peoples and paths of development. He also raises questions about African identity and about the future of a region torn between tradition and modernity, between the drive for independence and the pressure of the Cold War superpowers. It is a book full of empathy, curiosity and intellectual honesty towards a world the West then knew mainly from newspaper headlines.

Themes

• The history of colonialism in Africa
• Independence and its consequences
• Poverty and natural wealth
• African identity
• A vision of the future

Perspective

Kapuściński presents Africa with a deep understanding of its complexity.

Polish Editions

See the list of Polish editions of If the Whole of Africa… with ISBN numbers.