necessary and illuminating book, written by a wide range of scholars, including a significant number of African scholars. The Sankara that emerges here is more than "Africa's Che Guevara"
- he is a man whose ideas and politics are "rich with a thousand nuances" that distinguish them from other forms of Marxism and Pan-Africanism. Sankara comes alive in all his complexity?
Sean Jacobs, Associate Professor of International Affairs at The New School and Founder and Editor, Africa is Country
*The legendary Thomas Sankara - hero, revolutionary leader, anti-imperialist - receives deserving analytical treatment ... A must read' Toyin Falola, Honorary Professor, University of Cape Town, Distinguished Professor and Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities, University of Texas at Austin
Thomas Sankara was one of the most important anti-imperialist leaders of the late twentieth century. His declaration that fundamental socio-political change would require a certain amount of madness' drove the Burkinabè Revolution and resurfaced in the country's popular uprising in 2014.
This book explores Sankara's political philosophies and legacies and their relevance today. Analyses of his synthesis of Pan-Africanist and humanist Marxist politics, as well as his approaches to gender, development, debt and decolonisation offer new insights into Sankarist political philosophies. Critical evaluations of the limitations of the revolution examine his relationship with labour unions and other aspects of his leadership style. His legacy is revealed by looking at contemporary activists, artists and politicians who draw inspiration from Sankarist thought in social movement struggles today, from South Africa to Burkina Faso.
Amber Murrey is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Sociology at The American University in Cairo, Egypt.