"Many African countries are now described as "Fourth World"--Nations that essentially have no future. How could this have happened? Through the scope of the 1960s, the first decade of African Independence, Peter Schwab presents a compelling and provocative answer to this question. Designing West Africa tells the story of a pivotal decade in African history, when the fate of the continent was decided. Focusing on the six most visible leaders of the period - Sekou Toure, Kwame Nkrumah, and others - Schwab shows how Africa served as a ground for the larger international conflict of the Cold War. He does not fall back solely on blaming non-African involvement for the failure to build a viable leadership for the continent; rather, he critiques the African leaders themselves for their individual failings."--Jacket.