E. Alexander Powell's 'The Last Frontier: The White Man's War for Civilisation in Africa' is a detailed and insightful account of the European colonization of Africa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Powell's writing style is both engaging and informative, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the political, social, and economic factors that drove the expansion of European powers into Africa. The book delves into the complexities of colonialism and its impact on both the native African populations and the European colonizers, offering a balanced perspective on this controversial period in history. E. Alexander Powell, a renowned journalist and author, draws on his extensive knowledge of African history and politics to present a nuanced analysis of the white man's quest for domination in Africa. His firsthand experiences in the region lend authenticity to his narrative, making 'The Last Frontier' a valuable resource for scholars and history enthusiasts alike. Powell's commitment to uncovering the truth behind the civilizing mission in Africa sets this book apart from other accounts of colonial history. I highly recommend 'The Last Frontier' to anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the complexities of European colonialism in Africa. Powell's meticulous research and compelling storytelling make this book a must-read for anyone seeking to explore the lasting impact of imperialism on the continent.

The White Spaces of Kenyan Settler Writing provides an overview of Kenyan literature by white writers in the half-century before Independence in 1964. Such literature has been over-shadowed by that of black writers to the point of critical ostracism. It deserves attention for its own sake, as the expression of a community that hoped for permanence but suffered both disappointment and dispossession. It deserves attention for its articulation of an increasingly desperate colonial and Imperial situation at a time when both were being attacked and abandoned in Africa, as in other colonies elsewhere, and when a counter-discourse was being constructed by writers in Britain as well as in Africa. Kenya was likely the best-known twentieth-century colony, for it attracted publicity for its iconic safaris and its Happy Valley scandals. Yet behind such scenes were settlers who had taken over lands from the native peoples and who were trying to make a future for themselves, based on the labour, willing or forced, of those people. This situation can be seen as a microcosm of one colonial exercise, and can illuminate the historical tensions of such times. The bibliography is an attempt to collect the literary resources of white Kenya in this historically significant period.

Winner of the American Philosophical Society’s 2021 Jacques Barzun Prize in Cultural History From an award-winning historian, a panoramic account of Europe after the depravity of World War II. In 1945, Europe lay in ruins. Some fifty million people were dead, and millions more languished in physical and moral disarray. The devastation of World War II was unprecedented in character as well as in scale. Unlike the First World War, the second blurred the line between soldier and civilian, inflicting untold horrors on people from all walks of life. A continent that had previously considered itself the very measure of civilization for the world had turned into its barbaric opposite. Reconstruction, then, was a matter of turning Europe's "civilizing mission" inward. In this magisterial work, Oxford historian Paul Betts describes how this effort found expression in humanitarian relief work, the prosecution of war crimes against humanity, a resurgent Catholic Church, peace campaigns, expanded welfare policies, renewed global engagement and numerous efforts to salvage damaged cultural traditions. Authoritative and sweeping, Ruin and Renewal is essential reading for anyone hoping to understand how Europe was transformed after the destruction of World War II.