In the later decades of the twentieth century, Africa plunged into political chaos. States failed, governments became predators, and citizens took up arms. In When Things Fell Apart, Robert H. Bates advances an exploration of state failure in Africa. In so doing, he not only plumbs the depths of the continent's late-century tragedy, but also the logic of political order, and the foundations of the state. This book covers a wide range of territory by drawing on materials from Rwanda, Sudan, Liberia, and Congo. Written to be accessible to the general reader, it is nonetheless a must-read for scholars and policymakers concerned with conflict and state failure.

'Bates' book rightly reminds us that political order is problematic … [It] also contains a strong argument for the central role of the state for economic development.' Africa Spectrum
'An old hand in US political science on Africa with a university career which stretches over more than forty years, Bates combines some of the most attractive, but also some of the more problematic traditions of his trade.' Comparativ