A Global History of the Developing World

Book excerpt: A Global History of the Developing World takes a sweeping look at the historical foundations of the problems of developing world society. Encompassing Asia, Latin America and Africa, the book centralizes the struggle for self-determination in an attempt to understand how the current nation-states have been formed and what their future may hold. Although concentrating on the modern era, its scope is broad: it covers geography, ancient and modern history, economics, politics and recent events. The book features twelve chapters, organized into 4 thematic units, each containing one chapter on each of the three continents. These units cover different commonly-experienced phenomena among the peoples of the Developing World: imperialism, nationalism, globalization, and development. The first three are chronological, while the last surveys and analyzes the scholarly debates over the causes of development and underdevelopment. Through these chapters Christopher M. White presents a wide-ranging study of the major themes in studies of the developing world, including slavery, imperialism, religion, free and fair trade, democratization and economic development. Including detailed profiles of key figures as well as maps and illustrations, A Global History of the Developing World vividly illustrates the culture, personalities and histories of a key subject area. A perfect introduction for all students interested in the developing world in a historical context.