Chinua Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah (1989). A brilliant fictional account of post-independence Nigeria by that country’s foremost novelist.

Frederick Cooper, Africa since 1940 (2002). A readable overview of the coming of independence and efforts at development by a leading historian of Africa.

Ramachandra Guha, India after Gandhi: The History of the World’s Largest Democracy (2007). A thoughtful account of India’s first six decades of independence.

John Isbister, Promises Not Kept (2006). A well-regarded consideration of the obstacles to and struggles for development in the Global South.

Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela (1995). Mandela’s account of his own amazing life as nationalist leader and South African statesman.

W. David McIntyre, British Decolonization, 1946–1997 (1998). A global history of the demise of the British Empire.

Complete Site on Mahatma Gandhi, http://www.mkgandhi.org. A wealth of resources for exploring the life of Gandhi.

“Stunning Economic Growth in China,” http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/stunning-economic-growth-china-12155618. A brief video from ABC News that explores the reasons for China’s rapid economic growth in recent decades.