Robert H. Bates addresses the origins of state failure in late twentieth-century Africa.

Part I. Introduction: 1. Introduction; 2. From fable to fact; Part II. Sewing the Seeds: 3. Political legacies; 4. Policy choices; 5. Subnational tensions; Part III. Things Fell Apart: 6. Things fell apart; 7. Conclusion; Part IV. Appendix.