Further praise for the State of Africa

Kweku H. (Germany)
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words only definitions & notes
  1. readability
    the quality of written language that makes it easy to read and understand
    Further praise for the State of Africa:


    ‘The value of Meredith’s towering history of modern Africa rests not so much in its incisive analysis, or its original insights; it is the sheer readability of the project, combined with a notable lack of pedantry, that makes it one of the decade’s most important works on Africa.
  2. gruelling
    characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  3. Meredith
    United States civil rights leader whose college registration caused riots in traditionally segregated Mississippi (born in 1933)
    Further praise for the State of Africa:


    ‘The value of Meredith’s towering history of modern Africa rests not so much in its incisive analysis, or its original insights; it is the sheer readability of the project, combined with a notable lack of pedantry, that makes it one of the decade’s most important works on Africa.
  4. ethnically
    with respect to ethnicity
    In an early chapter dealing with Biafra and the Nigerian civil war, Meredith paints a truly horrifying picture, where opportunities are invariably squandered, and ethnically motivated killings and predatory opportunism combine to create an infernal downward spiral of suffering and mayhem (which Western intervention only serves to aggravate).
  5. national monument
    memorial consisting of a structure or natural landmark of historic interest; set aside by national government for preservation and public enjoyment
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  6. chronologically
    with respect to chronology
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  7. motivate
    give an incentive for action
    In an early chapter dealing with Biafra and the Nigerian civil war, Meredith paints a truly horrifying picture, where opportunities are invariably squandered, and ethnically motivated killings and predatory opportunism combine to create an infernal downward spiral of suffering and mayhem (which Western intervention only serves to aggravate).
  8. opportunism
    taking advantage of favorable circumstances selfishly
    In an early chapter dealing with Biafra and the Nigerian civil war, Meredith paints a truly horrifying picture, where opportunities are invariably squandered, and ethnically motivated killings and predatory opportunism combine to create an infernal downward spiral of suffering and mayhem (which Western intervention only serves to aggravate).
  9. free rein
    the removal of constraints
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  10. Darfur
    an impoverished region of western Sudan
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  11. Haile Selassie
    emperor of Ethiopia; worshipped by Rastafarians (1892-1975)
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Haile S...
  12. endemic
    native to or confined to a certain region
    Whether or not his pessimism about the continent’s future is fully warranted, Meredith’s history provides a gripping digest of the endemic woes confronting the cradle of humanity’




  13. selfsame
    being the exact same one; not any other:
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Haile Sela...
  14. mayhem
    violent and needless disturbance
    In an early chapter dealing with Biafra and the Nigerian civil war, Meredith paints a truly horrifying picture, where opportunities are invariably squandered, and ethnically motivated killings and predatory opportunism combine to create an infernal downward spiral of suffering and mayhem (which Western intervention only serves to aggravate).
  15. horrifying
    provoking horror
    In an early chapter dealing with Biafra and the Nigerian civil war, Meredith paints a truly horrifying picture, where opportunities are invariably squandered, and ethnically motivated killings and predatory opportunism combine to create an infernal downward spiral of suffering and mayhem (which Western intervention only serves to aggravate).
  16. spate
    a sudden forceful flow
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  17. Nigerian
    of or relating to Nigeria
    In an early chapter dealing with Biafra and the Nigerian civil war, Meredith paints a truly horrifying picture, where opportunities are invariably squandered, and ethnically motivated killings and predatory opportunism combine to create an infernal downward spiral of suffering and mayhem (which Western intervention only serves to aggravate).
  18. Rwanda
    a landlocked republic in central Africa
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  19. incisive
    demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
    Further praise for the State of Africa:


    ‘The value of Meredith’s towering history of modern Africa rests not so much in its incisive analysis, or its original insights; it is the sheer readability of the project, combined with a notable lack of pedantry, that makes it one of the decade’s most important works on Africa.
  20. pedantry
    an ostentatious and inappropriate display of learning
    Further praise for the State of Africa:


    ‘The value of Meredith’s towering history of modern Africa rests not so much in its incisive analysis, or its original insights; it is the sheer readability of the project, combined with a notable lack of pedantry, that makes it one of the decade’s most important works on Africa.
  21. Sierra Leone
    a republic in West Africa
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  22. Zimbabwe
    a landlocked republic in south central Africa formerly called Rhodesia; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1980
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  23. Mandela
    South African statesman who was released from prison to become the nation's first democratically elected president in 1994 (born in 1918)
    His point is simply that power corrupts, and absoulte power corrupts absolutely – which is why the rare exceptions to that rule (Senghor and Mandela chief among them) are all the more remarkable.
  24. aggravate
    make worse
    In an early chapter dealing with Biafra and the Nigerian civil war, Meredith paints a truly horrifying picture, where opportunities are invariably squandered, and ethnically motivated killings and predatory opportunism combine to create an infernal downward spiral of suffering and mayhem (which Western intervention only serves to aggravate).
  25. motivated
    strongly driven to succeed or achieve something
    In an early chapter dealing with Biafra and the Nigerian civil war, Meredith paints a truly horrifying picture, where opportunities are invariably squandered, and ethnically motivated killings and predatory opportunism combine to create an infernal downward spiral of suffering and mayhem (which Western intervention only serves to aggravate).
  26. squandered
    not used to good advantage
    In an early chapter dealing with Biafra and the Nigerian civil war, Meredith paints a truly horrifying picture, where opportunities are invariably squandered, and ethnically motivated killings and predatory opportunism combine to create an infernal downward spiral of suffering and mayhem (which Western intervention only serves to aggravate).
  27. pessimism
    a general disposition to expect the worst in all things
    Whether or not his pessimism about the continent’s future is fully warranted, Meredith’s history provides a gripping digest of the endemic woes confronting the cradle of humanity’




  28. illuminate
    make lighter or brighter
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  29. leone
    the basic unit of money in Sierra Leone; equal to 100 cents
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  30. Liberia
    a republic in West Africa
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  31. predatory
    living by preying on other animals
    In an early chapter dealing with Biafra and the Nigerian civil war, Meredith paints a truly horrifying picture, where opportunities are invariably squandered, and ethnically motivated killings and predatory opportunism combine to create an infernal downward spiral of suffering and mayhem (which Western intervention only serves to aggravate).
  32. gripping
    capable of arousing and holding the attention
    Whether or not his pessimism about the continent’s future is fully warranted, Meredith’s history provides a gripping digest of the endemic woes confronting the cradle of humanity’




  33. combine
    put or add together
    Further praise for the State of Africa:


    ‘The value of Meredith’s towering history of modern Africa rests not so much in its incisive analysis, or its original insights; it is the sheer readability of the project, combined with a notable lack of pedantry, that makes it one of the decade’s most important works on Africa.
  34. mythical
    based on or told of in traditional stories
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Haile Sela...
  35. illuminating
    tending to increase knowledge or dissipate ignorance
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  36. upheaval
    a violent disturbance
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  37. squander
    spend thoughtlessly; throw away
    In an early chapter dealing with Biafra and the Nigerian civil war, Meredith paints a truly horrifying picture, where opportunities are invariably squandered, and ethnically motivated killings and predatory opportunism combine to create an infernal downward spiral of suffering and mayhem (which Western intervention only serves to aggravate).
  38. infamy
    a state of extreme dishonor
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
  39. corrupt
    dishonest or immoral or evasive
    His point is simply that power corrupts, and absoulte power corrupts absolutely – which is why the rare exceptions to that rule (Senghor and Mandela chief among them) are all the more remarkable.
  40. Nasser
    lake in Egypt formed by dams built on the Nile River at Aswan
    Spanning the entire continent, and covering the major upheavals more or less chronologically – from the promising era of independence to the most recent spate of infamies (Rwanda, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone) – Meredith brings us on a journey that is as illuminating as it is gruelling…Nowhere is Meredith more effective than when he gives free rein to his biographer’s instincts, carefully building up the heroic foundations of national monuments like Nasser, Nkrumah, and Hai...
Created on Sun Oct 18 11:10:27 EDT 2009

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