Decolonization revolutionized the international order in the 20th century. However, the standard narratives that portray the end of colonialism as an inevitable transition from a world of empires to one of nation-states obscure how radical this change was. Through the political thought of anticolonial intellectuals and statesmen such as Nnamdi Azikiwe, W. E. B. Du Bois, George Padmore, Kwame Nkrumah, Eric Williams, Michael Manley, and Julius Nyerere, Adom Getachew demonstrates in her acclaimed book the immense potential of the decolonial movement, whose ambitions extended far beyond the restructuring of individual countries.

The protagonists of the "Black Atlantic," shaped by experiences of racism, vehemently challenged the international hierarchy with the aim of creating an egalitarian post-imperial world. They sought to overcome political and economic power structures, secure their right to self-determination within the newly established United Nations, establish federations in Africa and the Caribbean, and develop a new world economic order. Drawing on numerous archival sources, Getachew presents the captivating history of the decolonial movement, including its failures, and offers a fascinating perspective on the debates surrounding today's world order.