Charles Hornsby

A gigantic book - I could not finish it entirely - with a gigantic goal: the entire socio-political history of Kenya since independence. Hornsby writes authoritatively, with impeccable sources backing up every assertion and opinion. This is a fairly scholarly work, and Hornsby neither talks down to the reader, nor is inclined to let them take breath.

But there are some limits to this approach. Hornsby's logical choice to plot the book chronologically, combined with his wide-ranging depth, left me struggling at times to ascertain which were the most important things. Hornsby is not averse to some foreshadowing to help address this, but the tsunami of information he provides can still overwhelm. The book is close to textbook territory.

Additionally, the wealth of sources that Hornsby draws on - wide in scope and format - rarely make it into the text in terms of direct quotes. This means that Hornsby's dry, scholarly, fact-filled voice is far and away the only one we hear. The presence of the sources gives this voice its authority and insight - indisputably - but it still would have been nice if what people at the time were saying and thinking made it into print verbatim. It would have broken up the pace.

That all said, there's no other book, in my opinion that does what this book does, and definitely not so well. This isn't a living, breathing history of Kenya, but if you want a thorough understanding of where the country has come from and where it's going, you won't do better.… (meer)