It will be much easier to follow if you have a basic understanding of African geography (i.e. major cities, which countries were whose colonies, etc.) but - having that - this lays out a rather deep concept in a straightforward way. Herbst's assertion that there's more to contemporary African states than their colonial legacies goes against the common narrative, but the evidence laid out is comprehensive and shows that things are more complicated than they seem. ( )

I liked this book a lot. The author discusses the requirements of African government and the European state system which has provided the model for African political institutions after independence. He argues that the mismatch between these two is so severe that the concept of the state needs a different, specifically African manifestation before government on this continent can improve. But there's little of hope of that when international politics is played through the game of "sovereign nations" which fits African society so badly, as the author explains.

He discusses the history of African state formations at length, with a particular focus on boundaries, political control and the size of states. He also touches on national currencies, migration and national identity. The topics are a bit on the abstract side and as such don't provide any specific blueprints for solving Africa's problems, but this book certainly provides a lot of tools for deeper reflection. The book should be of interest not only to Africans and to people with an interest in Africa, but to anyone who wants to reconsider the suitability of the European state model (and the international institutions that rest upon it) in other parts of the world.