Explores the history of underdevelopment and development in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries from the vantage point of the early twenty-first century. Themes include: colonialism, nationalism, decolonisation and post-colonial states; the history and politics of development in the Cold War and post-Cold War era; the state and economic development; the role of international organisations such as the World Bank and the IMF; and the question of globalisation. In geographical terms, the focus is on sub-Saharan Africa, especially the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the Middle East, especially Egypt; South Asia, especially India; Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia; and Northeast Asia, especially South Korea.