The book is very broad, I often found myself wishing there was more time to explore a particular topic, but Rodney is covering centuries of history across an entire continent so I suppose it's off to the "suggested further reading"  section I go.

Even though it was written in 1972 (I was always surprised by references to Rhodesia), the content of the book is remarkably relevant, and gives a very comprehensive political history of Africa. The few moments where the book felt dated were actually in Rodney's presentation of political theory. He leans heavily on a Marxist framework for defining "development" in a way that I don't think represents how modern anti-colonial theorists (or Marxists for that matter) approach the concept. For instance, he remarks that certain pre-colonial African states were less developed for not having a capitalist class and economic system.

 Ultimately, very good. It felt like a non-fiction counterpart to the novels of writers like Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Chinua Achebe, and Frantz Fanon. I recommend it to anyone looking for a broad, but clearly exceptionally well-researched political history of Africa, and a lens into the history of the modern socio-economic climate on the continent.