The first single-volume history of Zimbabwe with detailed coverage from pre-colonial times to the present, this book examines Zimbabwe's pre-colonial, colonial and postcolonial social, economic and political history and relates historical factors and trends to recent developments in the country. Zimbabwe is a country with a rich history, dating from the early San hunter-gatherer societies. The arrival of British imperial rule in 1890 impacted the country tremendously, as the European rulers exploited Zimbabwe's resources, giving rise to a movement of African nationalism and demands for independence. This culminated in the armed conflict of the 1960s and 1970s and independence in 1980. The 1990s were marked by economic decline and the rise of opposition politics. In 1999, Mugabe embarked on a violent land reform program that plunged the nation's economy into a downward spiral, with political violence and human rights violations making Zimbabwe an international pariah state. This book will be useful to those studying Zimbabwean history and those unfamiliar with the country's past.

‘The absence of a single text dedicated to the longue durée of Zimbabwe’s history can now be said to be a thing of the past. At long last, Professor Alois Mlambo has, for the first time, produced a crisp single-volume book that documents the country’s rich historical experience, covering the entire precolonial, colonial and postcolonial continuum. Easily readable but deeply incisive in its evaluations, A History of Zimbabwe coherently weaves together historiographical debates, which scholars have been engaged in over time, with a clear content analysis framed by recognizable themes and chronology. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the long historical trajectory of contemporary socio-economic and political developments in Zimbabwe. Professor Mlambo’s book will become the classic text on the history of Zimbabwe for a long time to come.’

Muchaparara Musemwa - University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

‘This volume, written by one of Southern Africa’s premier historians, admirably fills the long-felt need for an accessible yet comprehensive synthesis of the disparate historiographies of precolonial, colonial, nationalist and independent Zimbabwe. Alois Mlambo showcases the factors that are uniquely interesting about Zimbabwe’s path in a way that will also facilitate comparisons with Zimbabwe’s neighbours and other countries of the global South.’

Teresa Barnes - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

'Certainly the most comprehensive and informed history of Zimbabwe to date, it is also a joy to read so much good writing, with appropriate case studies and apt quotations. Alois Mlambo does not shrink from criticism of the post-independence government, but his judgments are always well thought out and tempered by consideration of the internal and international political and economic contexts. A good companion for The Cambridge History of South Africa.’

Neil Parsons - Former Professor of History, University of Botswana