<p>"This is a thoroughgoing and scholarly study of African culture, anthropology and history during the lead-up to decolonization, using the notion of temporality as a lens through which to assess this complex transitional period. It is a high quality piece of research, offering a wealth of new insight on a complex question."<br /> Jane Hiddleston, University of Oxford</p>

<p>'Fraiture's intervention in the debate is monumental. He helps the English-speaking world see the part of the debate that, until now, lacked visibility, i.e. the de-colonialists who challenged the French colonial system. And he does it in superb English –a gift to be savoured. The reader gulps with curiosity as Fraiture opens the vaults of history for our benefit. He educates in a very dazzling way. [...] This book is a labour of love; the scholarship is a pure bravura. No one concerned about decolonization can be without this book. It is first-rate.' Paul Okojie, <em>Africa International Network</em></p>

<p>'Pierre-Philippe Fraiture’s opus is an astute book that breaks new ground in the study of decolonization in the twentieth century. An erudite tour de force that deconstructs complex and oftentimes demanding texts, <em>Past Imperfect</em> succeeds in bringing to the fore the intertextual dialogues among African, Antillean, and French intellectuals in their effort to unmake colonialism and the epistemologies that informed its implementation. This makes it a must-read for any scholar interested in the decolonial turn in African studies.' <br /> B. Bamba, <em>African Studies Review</em></p>