This work investigates the internal and external factors that hindered the efficacy of African liberation movements during the mid-20th century. Richard G. Gibson provides a comprehensive examination of the political landscape of the 1970s, utilizing contemporary reports and field observations to document the progress of various anti-colonial organizations. The author argues that ideological fragmentation and internal power struggles were as significant as colonial opposition in determining the success or failure of these movements.

Historians and political scientists often cite this text as a primary source for understanding the internal complexities of anti-colonial movements during the early 1970s. Readers frequently note the dense, reportorial style of the prose, which provides a snapshot of a volatile period in African history.