Leo T. reviewed on + 1775 more book reviews
The socialist regime, swept into office shortly after the French were swept out of Algeria, had high expectations given the considerable resources of the land. The author's emphasis on the youth of the leadership (Ben Bella aged 44 and no minister over 38) is well taken, as are the problems of providing work for a Muslim population that increased from 5,510,000 in 1930 to 9,650,000 in 1959. The author sees no solution to "this progressive pauperization" resulting from civil war unless there is an effective birth control program, which is rejected by Muslims.
