The Fortunate Isles is a vivid. first-hand description of how one small country- the Cape Verde islands- has fared before and after setting itself free from colonial rule: a dramatic portrait of an anti-colonial revolution and the key political figures that have made the islands' story a very special one.

At a time when so much of Africa is beset by violence, confusion and upheaval, and hunger spreads ever more widely, The Fortunate Isles focuses on a remarkable experiment in self-transformation and democratic self­reliance in a country almost unknown to the outside world ­ yet which is shown to have a significance  far beyond the geographical boundaries of its own remote islands.

Who are the Cape Verdeans and what kind of men and women have led and lead them now? How have this people hauled themselves out of famine and despair? How did they succeed in the long struggle for independence? These and other questions are answered by the leading British historian of Africa in his compelling account.

The book springs from a long personal interest in the country. Much of the story is here made known for the first time from oral and document ary sources, and from the author's intimate acquaintance with the actors in the drama.

The Fortunate Isles introduces an extraordinary African land and people.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Basil Davidson is a writer and historian of international renown, who has been concerned with the study of Africa for nearly forty years.

PUBLICATION YEAR
1989