Thomas Sankara: A Revolutionary in Cold War Africa Paperback – March 2, 2021

This biography was exceptionally written, fair and really brought Sankara to life, complete with positive traits, blemishes and all. The mid to last part of the book were the best parts detailing the conspiracies involved in his downfall and will keep you biting your fingernails.

This is the best book that I’ve read on Sankara and his revolution, and actually one of the best books I’ve read on any African leader. For years, it was impossible to find serious books on Sankara, at least for people who don’t speak French. The few books out there on Sankara have been pretty superficial. This new biography is very thorough and based on high level research. The book is sympathetic but also critical of Sankara, which I appreciate because the other books on Sankara look a lot like hero worship, but this one looks at all the views. When you read about Sankara’s mistakes, it actually makes you respect him more, because you see how human he was and how difficult the task was in front of him. More than a biography, this book is a history of the revolution and it shows what worked and didn’t work in this revolution. What was eye-opening was how the author used secret US documents to tell the real story about how the revolution was viewed by foreign countries and how France was constantly trying to get rid of him. The end of the book is powerful and moving. I couldn’t help tearing in my eyes as I read about his last days, as the assassination approached. Despite his murder, and sad ending, this is a very inspiring book on Sankara, and not to be missed if you want to understand revolutions in Africa and get to know one of Africa’s greatest leaders. It’s just shocking more people haven’t even heard of him. This book should be read alongside his speeches and you’ll get a full understanding of the man.

This is the closest you're ever going to get to an actual autobiography of Thomas Sankara, if he had lived long enough to write one. This book does a very great job of charting the entire life of Sankara, from his father's time as a medic in World War II all the way to Thomas' uneventful end at the trigger of Hyacinthe Kafondo's kalashnikov in 1987. The author leaves no stone unturned in painting as close to possible Thomas Sankara's very full and colorful life. What I especially loved about the book is that, it's the product of hundreds of interviews conducted with Sankara's family members, fellow revolutionaries and even those he eventually had a falling out with like Burkina Faso's civilian left cohort of PAI-LIPAD such as Philippe Quedraego, Soumane Toure and Adama Toure.Thomas Sankara was no way a Saint, at the crux of it, he was just a mere man with his idiosyncratic values and beliefs- its from the milieu from how hard he fought to prevail these convictions that made him the renowned figure he is today. People who only watch his speeches and documentary online are stuck with this image of this charismatic young Marxist leader who was just killed abruptly in his prime. It's not really that simple as the internal dynamics of the Burkina Faso of his era has never ever been truly analyzed in any previous book on Sankara's life until this book.

This a compelling, incredibly well researched biography of Thomas Sankara, one of Africa's beloved presidents whose life was brutally cut short at its prime. The writing is inspired and ranks way up there with that of Walter Isaacson's bestsellers. As a walking repository of the modern history of the enigmatic Burkina Faso, I would really love to know what Peterson thinks of Ibrahim Traore, the current president--have any lessons been learned to save the Burkinabé and the wider continent from yet another episode of great sorrow? Also, what does he make of the famed nearly two dozen attempts on Traore's life so far? Exceptional!

Brian Peterson offers a compelling look at the life and times of Thomas Sankara, the brilliant and charismatic president of the West African country of Burkina Faso in the mid 1980s. I gained a clear understanding of the struggles Sankara faced in trying to bridge the gap between the colonialism of the past and the corrupt leaders of his day. Though I was dazzled by the integrity and good intentions of Sankara, this book led me to understand that it was likely a combination his youth, inexperience and impatience that led to his tragic assassination in 1987. This was an eye-opening book. I learned much about the value, as well as the pitfalls, of a well-intended revolution. Five stars for sure.

I was happy to find this book ! It came fast in the mail and it’s a great book on my hero Sankara. He has been so important in African history. I think he was Africa’s greatest president. But there’s not much known about him. I’m only half way done with the book, but this one is amazing. The writing is clear and very detailed about his life, and the author makes Sankara even more captivating. I’m getting a full understanding of his life finally. I wish the book had more photos of him as a child. But the book tells lots of stories about him and there are many oral interviews of his family, so it’s very accurate.

An extraordinary, meticulously researched and documented biography of Thomas Sankara, the charismatic leader of the West African country of Burkina Faso, who served as its president from 1983 until his untimely and tragic death in 1987. Sankara was a progressive revolutionary who challenged the political ideas of his time. He worked tirelessly to eliminate corruption and poverty, advance the role of women and lead his country towards independence and self-reliance while battling political infighting and meddling by foreign powers. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the politics of West Africa in the 1980's and this gifted man's determination to create a more prosperous future for Burkina Faso.

This is a great biography of Sankara. The revolution that he led was the one of most progressive revolutions in recent memory and it's incredibly important to study and learn from it.