This book is a journey not for the weak hearted. An evocative, book with one of the best preface, by Sartre.


Excellent book for understanding anti-colonial struggle   April 28, 2002
 19 out of 21 found this review helpful

...Sarte's introduction had me hooked and I couldn't wait to begin reading Fanon's comments. I was a bit disappointed at first, but as I got into the text I began to realize that I couldn't put it down. Fanon is very insightful as to what happens during an anti-colonial struggle. He explains how the anti-colonial struggle is divided between the rural areas and the towns, whereas most Westerners see the movement as a coherent body. In Fanon's opinion, violence is the way forward. Many are quick to criticize this opinion, citing Gandhi as an example of how a non-violent movement can work. However, violent and non-violent movements must be examined on a case by case basis and Fanon shows how violence is important to the nation to establish itself as a truly independent nation that will not endure Neo-Colonialism. It is also essential towards building a national solidatory, something difficult when the area is usually composed of different tribal groups that have different cultures and who have been encouraged to fight each other by the colonial authorities.

In conclusion, you should read this book if you want to gain an insight into the philosophy of the anti-colonial struggle. This book has truths that are still relevant to this day and which will continue to be relevant for some time to come.