The World History Shelf.

A History Of Malawi: 1859-1966

John McCracken

James Currey

c/o Boydell & Brewer Inc

668 Mount Hope Avenue

Rochester, NY 14620-2731

www.boydellandbrewer.com

9781847010506, $99.00, www.amazon.com

Malawi (officially the Republic of Malawi), is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Malawi is over 118,000 km2 (45,560 sq mi) with an estimated population of more than 13,900,000. Its capital is Lilongwe, which is also Malawi's largest city; the second largest is Blantyre and the third is Mzuzu. The name Malawi comes from the Maravi, an old name of the Nyanja people that inhabit the area. The area of Africa now known as Malawi was colonized by migrating tribes of Bantu around the 10th century. In 1891 the area was colonized again, this time by the British. In 1953 Malawi, then known as Nyasaland, became part of the semi-independent Central African Federation (CAF). The Federation was dissolved in 1963 and in 1964, Nyasaland gained full independence and was renamed Malawi. Upon gaining independence it became a single-party state under the presidency of Hastings Banda, who remained president until 1994, when he was ousted from power. Joyce Banda (no relation) is the current president, raised to that position after president Bingu Mutharika died in 2012. She is the first female leader in Malawi. Malawi has a democratic, multi-party government. Malawi has a small military force that includes an army, a navy and an air wing. Malawi's foreign policy is pro-Western and includes positive diplomatic relations with most countries and participation in several international organizations. Malawi has a culture combining native and colonial aspects, including sports, art, dance and music. "A History of Malawi: 1859-1966" by John McCracken (Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Stirling University, Scotland) is a 526 page compendium providing an historical overview of the land, people, commerce, colonial experience, religion, culture, society, and politics of this African nation from its inception in 1859 down through its emancipation and governance in 1966. Enhanced with an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index, "A History of Malawi: 1859-1966" is an impressive work of detailed scholarship and a highly recommended addition to academic library International Studies and African History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.