Earlylands in Conversation - Ep. 27 - Oxford Academic Richard Reid Reassesses the Nineteenth Century Scramble for Africa

For this episode of the podcast we turn our attention back to Africa and roll back the clock to the 19th century. Our guest today is Professor Richard Reid of St. Cross College, Oxford.Richard is a specialist in 19th and 20th century African history and author of the 2025 book The African Revolution: A History of the Long Nineteenth Century. In the book, Richard makes the case for a new lens through which to view African history, notably arguing that the infamous “Scramble for Africa” and the follow-on period of colonialism can’t be understood without an in-depth appreciation of Africa’s own transformative nineteenth century, independent of Europe. The book has met high critical praise ranging from Foreign Affairs calling it an “an authoritative survey” to The Irish Times labelling it “clever, full of ideas and insights and stimulating, as well as provocative.”

Books Mentioned in the Podcast

The African Revolution: A History of the Long Nineteenth Century, Richard Reid

How Colonialism Preempted Modernity in Africa, Olúfémi Táíwò

Violent Intermediaries: African Soldiers, Conquest, and Everyday Colonialism in German East Africa, Michelle Moyd

Empire of Sentiment, Joanna Lewis