The Wealth and Poverty of African States: Economic Growth, Living Standards and Taxation since the Late Nineteenth Century: By Morten Jerven Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2022, 180 pp., £19.99 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1-108-44070-7.

Jerven is justified in criticising the common tendency to treat Africa as a whole in the economic literature, neglecting the significant differences between (and within) countries. If Jerven has a mission, it is to rescue the reputation of Africa, even if not stated in so many words, and that is partly successful. Morten Jerven's I The Wealth and Poverty of African States i has significant merits, in particular, in-depth discussion, compilation and analysis of historical economic statistics (and the affordable price at which it is available). [Extracted from the article]