A comprehensive history of the five African Lusophone countries - Angola, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde and Sao Tome e Principe - since they became independent from Portugal in 1974-5. It approaches the subject in two complementary ways. The first part consists of a series of chapters which analyze what these countries have in common and how they compare to the rest of Africa. The second part is a systematic account of what has occurred since Independence in each of the five countries individually. Both parts of the book link the precolonial and colonial past with postcolonial events, and this differs from many accounts, where the emphasis is primarily on current events. The aim is to avoid a narrow Lusophone emphasis. The first part is organized around themes relevant to all postcolonial African states, and the analysis is strongly comparative.