Richard West Books

Richard West (1930 - 2015) was a British journalist.

Congo: An Account Of A Century Of European Exploration And Exploitation In The Heart Of Africa by Richard West (1972) is an account of European visitors to French Equatorial Africa. The book centres around Pierre de Brazza but it begins with other explorers - du Chaillu, Richard Burton, Winwood Reade and Mary Kingsley, most of whose researches were often accompanied by an eager sense of trade possibilities.

The White Tribes Of Africa by Richard West (1965) is a result of a tour made by the author, with photographer John Bulmer, of 14 countries south of the Sahara, on assignment from the Sunday Times, London. It discusses the "less than four million" (at the time) Europeans and Americans residing in Africa.

Back To Africa: A History Of Sierra Leone And Liberia by Richard West (1970) tells the story of the black repatriation movement. Around 1787 the idea was conceived of sending 'indigent black' people from England back to Africa to form the colony of Sierra Leone. Thirty five years later, inspired by this experiment, a party of free black American established the colony of Liberia which became an independent republic in 1847.

Brazza Of The Congo: European Exploration and Exploitation In French Equatorial Africa by Richard West (1972) is primarily about Pierre Paul Francois Camille Savorgnan de Brazza (1852 - 1905), who explored, colonised and administered the area for the French. Brazza developed friendly relations with the African tribes and after Leopold of Belgium had him removed as commissioner, he wrote an expose of the system which permitted Franco-Belgian rubber companies to work their forced African laborers to death.

White Tribes Revisited by Richard West (1978) is a return to a look at the effects of white people on politics, economics and tourism in various parts of Africa.

The Diamonds And The Necklace: A South African Journey by Richard West (1991) presents the author's experiences and observations as he retraces the steps of the Europeans who opened up the country. He begins at Cape Town, which was settled in 1652 and proceeds through the Eastern Cape, Natal and the Orange Free State to Kimberley, where the diamond rush began in 1869. He then continues to the capital Pretoria and finally travels to Johannesburg, examining the plight of the people and the particular problems of the country along the way.