Fourth Edition of Acclaimed Historical Dictionary of Cameroon Now Available

DeLancey, Mark D., Rebecca Neh Mbuh, and Mark DeLancey. Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon (4th Edition). Historical Dictionaries of Africa, no. 113. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press, 2010. 530 pages.  

Book Flyer from Scarecrow Press
Cameroon is a country endowed with a variety of climates and agricultural environments, numerous minerals, substantial forests, and a dynamic population. It is a country that should be a leader of Africa. Instead, we find a country almost paralyzed by corruption and poor management, a country with a low life expectancy and serious health problems, and a country from which the most talented and highly educated members of the population are emigrating in large numbers. Although Cameroon has made economic progress since independence, it has not been able to change the dependent nature of its economy. The economic situation combined with the dismal record of its political history, indicate that prospects for political stability, justice, and prosperity are dimmer than they have been for most of the country's independent existence.

The fourth edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon has been updated to reflect advances in the study of Cameroon's history as well as to provide coverage of the years since the last edition. It relates the turbulent history of Cameroon through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 600 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, events, places, organizations, and other aspects of Cameroon history from the earliest times to the present.

Mark Dike DeLancey is assistant professor of History of Art and Architecture at DePaul University. He is coauthor of Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon (Scarecrow, 2000).

Rebecca Mbuh is professor in the Liberal Arts Department at Jungwon University.

Mark W. DeLancey is visiting professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Sookmyung Women's University. He is coauthor of Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon (Scarecrow, 2000).

Comments

[Gariwa]

First issues first.

Beginning with the front cover - I will have to overcome a deep emotional bias to buy a book on Cameroon history that does not question its own language -

I'm talking about the single star on the cover.

However, from the flyer, it looks like a critical text in spite of the naivety of the single star. A sound critical historical approach should have indicated to the authors (and the editor) to feature two different flags or point at present contentions or the problematic nature of the state when the word "Cameroon" is invoked. Which Cameroon/Cameroun are they talking about?

[JP Mouanko]

Gariwa, you are talking about a revered publication whose first editiono was published in 1974. Not reading it if you can afford to is your loss. This is part of the African historical dictionary series which focuses on each of the internaitonally recognized African countries. Until Erithrea became independent, it featured in the Ethiopian issue even though it gave complete coverage to the Eritrean struggle and the key leaders and groups. It is the same with the Cameroon issue. When SC becomes officially independent, it will be entitled to its own issue with its own flag. No bias but just academic honesty which is totally different from political activism or propaganda.

[kambe georges]

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thks for readx