RIINA TURTIO is a Visiting Researcher and Lecturer at the University of Helsinki. Previously, she was a Lecturer at the Paris School of international affairs and a Research Fellow at Harvard University.

• 1. IntroductionPeaceful decolonisation and the Cold WarArmed Forces and State Building: The Development of National Militaries in West Africa Sources and MethodologyObjectives and Structure of the book2. Autonomy: Foreign Assistance and African Decision-makingPros and Cons of Neutralism: The Reliance of Guinea and Mali on the Soviet UnionLife Insurance: French Relations with the Presidents of Côte d'Ivoire and SenegalSurviving on Leftovers: Building National Militaries with Limited ResourcesFrench know-how and strategic minerals: Nigerien defense decisionsConclusion 3. Sovereignty: Strategies to Control Populations and TerritoriesCoopting States: Côte d'Ivoire and SenegalCoercive States: Guinea and MaliCentralized States: Niger and Upper VoltaConclusion 4. Legitimacy and Colonial Legacies: The Use of Force and Institutions of CoercionBlood Tax: West African Soldiers in the French ArmyFrom 'Mercenaries' to People's Armed Force: Military Building in GuineaRelying on France: Continuity in Colonial Structures in Côte d'IvoireA Reverence for Warriors: The Postcolonial Importance of Soldiers in Upper VoltaConclusion 5. Governance: Control and Command of the Armed ForcesA Revolutionary Army Eats Itself: The Soviet Model in Guinea and MaliEconomic Liberalism v. Multiparty Democracy: Ivorian and Senegalese Decision-makingNigerien and Voltaic Soldiers: Guardians of the Treasury?Conclusion 6. Conclusion: Legacies of Control

Riina Turtio performs a valuable service by recentering the link between militaries and state building in the history of African decolonization and early postcolonial politics. Turtio's source base is diverse and impressive. She combines a wide range of various French record collections (foreign ministry, presidency, military) with US records, but most importantly she includes a variety of West African archival collections and oral history interviews with West African military veterans. This allows her to present an appropriately multinational and nuanced history of a complex decolonization process.