{"title":"Gérard Prunier","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGerard Prunier\u003c\/strong\u003e offers profound insights into complex historical and military conflicts, with a particular focus on African geopolitics. His works dissect the intricate realities behind wars and nation-building, presenting nuanced perspectives that challenge conventional narratives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect meticulously researched accounts that combine scholarly rigour with accessible prose. Prunier's books invite reflection on the forces shaping contemporary history, making them essential for those seeking a deeper understanding of conflict and its lasting impact.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"colonialism-devours-itself-by-gerard-prunier-9781911723653","title":"Colonialism Devours Itself","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA historically grounded account, from de Gaulle onwards, of how France's neocolonial influence crumbled in Africa, with devastating and unforeseen consequences.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrance is the only country that never decolonised its colonies, emotionally, financially or strategically. In the aftermath of losing the Second World War, notwithstanding de Gaulle's attempts to convince his people otherwise, the French knew the game was up. (The Resistance fighters were heroes; but heroes are lonely.) For France, after 1945, the Second World War blended into the early Cold War, which Paris jumped into the day before it began. It fought in Indochina, and lost again. The independence war dragged on in Algeria. Then France lost there, too—painfully, with millions of its ordinary citizens expelled to a homeland that many of them hardly knew.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut Sub-Saharan Africa was still there. France produced a postcolonial antidote: 'Francafrique', France's sphere of influence (or 'backyard') over its former West and Central African colonies. France loved Africa. Some Frenchmen died for 'Francafrique'; others made millions from it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe entire toxic edifice is now crumbling away. Young Africans are happy about this—but not so many of their parents, who often live in France. In his inimitable style, Gérard Prunier recounts a tragic transcultural saga, with one leg in the past and one in the future: the end of \u003cem\u003eColonialism Devours Itself\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47486004232428,"sku":"9781911723653","price":49.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/81711401601d94bba752ad6c877575f2.jpg?v=1775784439"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/gerard-prunier.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}