The Scramble for Africa

The Scramble for Africa: the white man's conquest of the Dark Continent from 1876 to 1912 is a comprehensive but popular history of the Scramble for Africa by Thomas Pakenham.

The book's central theme is the contrast between the humanitarian motives of David Livingstone, and the profit-taking of King Leopold, and how the different players dealt with the conflict. The book addresses underlying motives and economics, without losing sight of the individuals whose personalities and actions drove much of the Scramble. It is also quite readable, and has been reprinted a number of times since its first appearance in 1990.

As of 2003, an Avon Books paperback edition is in print, ISBN 0380719991.