Jamie Monson 199 pages hardcover
The TAZARA (Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority), or Freedom Railway, from
Dar es Salaam on the Tanzanian coast to the Copperbelt region of Zambia
was instrumental in fostering one of the most sweeping development
transitions in post-colonial Africa. Built during the height of the Cold
War, the railway was intended to redirect the mineral wealth of the
interior away from routes through South Africa and Rhodesia. Rebuffed by
Western aid agencies, newly independent Tanzania and Zambia accepted
help from China to construct what would become one of Africa's most
vital transportation corridors. The book follows the railroad from
design and construction to its daily use as a vital means for moving
villagers and goods. It tells a story of how transnational interests
contributed to environmental change, population movements, and the rise
of local and regional enterprise.
