Paul D. Williams is Associate Professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University.
War and Conflict in Africa is a fantastic resource for all those who want to learn about the causes, consequences, and solutions to African conflicts. Superbly researched, written, and documented, it manages to cover and synthesize the major debates on war and peace in Africa in a single book. Severine Autesserre, Barnard College, Columbia University Paul Williams knows the politics of conflict and its resolution backwards and forwards. In this bold second edition, he expands his analysis to explain a worrisome upswing in violence in Africa. Full of helpful insights and mastery of the wide literature, Williams explains how the survival strategies of authoritarian regimes are linked to highly fragmented and complex war zones. Superbly revised and expanded, this brilliant book is a landmark in the literature on the politics of conflict. William Reno, Northwestern University This impressive book provides a comprehensive overview of wars and conflicts in modern Africa, the ideas that have been used to explain them, and the means that have been deployed in the attempt to overcome them. It is absolutely essential reading for anyone concerned with these issues. The central conclusion that most of the keys required to unlock the secret of building stable peace on the continent are held by local actors is one that I wholeheartedly endorse. Christopher Clapham, Centre of African Studies, University of Cambridge