[1] Rodney wrote the text during his time in Dar es Salaam, during the presidency of Julius Nyerere.

Tanzanian scholar Karim F Hirji has described the work as, "no doubt the 20th century's most important and influential book on African history.

"[2] Rodney argues that to fully appreciate and understand the effect of European exploitation on Africa, four distinct issues need to be addressed: a reconstruction of pre-European Africa's developmental condition, that of pre-expansionist Europe, and their contributions to each other's present condition, developed or otherwise.

He concludes the book with a chapter critiquing arguments that promote the "supposed benefit of colonialism".

In this chapter, he also explains the means through which colonialism is linked to Africa's present underdevelopment.