Blood and Diamonds: Germany’s Imperial Ambitions in Africa

This book is a valuable addition to the academic literature of the relationships between settler colonialists, indigenous peoples, and natural resources in southern Africa, particularly with respect to extraction of diamonds and economic development. The main contribution is attention to financial and political details particular to German interests. The scholarship is richly grounded in archival research from Germany and adds interesting discussion of investment schemes, banking, and methods of extraction and distribution unique to this colony. It also provides useful background of the disparate objectives of the movers and shakers in Germany, Southwest Africa’s governors and citizens as well as DeBeers.Having said all that, the title of the book is unfortunate and ill-conceived . Although there is mention of the genocide of indigenous peoples, the reference to Blood diamonds is overly lurid and not the main emphasis of the book.

An interesting book on a topic that we must say is not very well known outside of research and historical circles; I should thank for receiving a copy of the book. The author has presented many details, dates, context. It was useful and interesting for me to read the book and I recommend it to all history buffs, but also historians - the book gives nuances to the process of colonialism in Africa and especially to not so well-known actors like Imperial Germany.

I particularly like the fact individual chapters are so well dedicated to the chapter titles - very easy to look back and check details.