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Diamonds in the Rough is a significant contribution to Angolan historiography and to the literature on mining on the continent. Cleveland persuasively argues that laborers on Angolan mines were active participants in shaping the stable conditions that made Diamang profitable, and, ironically, helped further the Portuguese regime in Angola. Marissa Moorman, author of Intonations: A Social History of Music and Nation in Luanda, Angola, from 1945 to Recent Times

“This meticulous study is a must read for scholars and graduate students interested in African labor history and Portuguese colonialism. Those with an interest in (diamond) mining will take away as much as those reading for information on forced labor or on the interplay between the Portuguese colonial state and concessional companies. However, those keen to learn about the rich texture of workers’ experiences, both on and o the mine, stand to gain the most.” “Diamonds in the Rough is a significant contribution to Angolan historiography and to the literature on mining on the continent. Cleveland persuasively argues that laborers on Angolan mines were active participants in shaping the stable conditions that made Diamang profitable, and, ironically, helped further the Portuguese regime in Angola.” -- Marissa Moorman, author of Intonations: A Social History of Music and Nation in Luanda, Angola, from 1945 to Recent Times “[Cleveland] is particularly strong on African workers’ experiences and perceptions of the mines and its Janus-faced character: getting well paid while being exploited. … [Diamonds in the Rough] is balanced, showing that there are no facile answers and the Appendix, entitled “Digging Deeper,” contains useful discussion questions and suggestions for further reading, all of which enhances its quality for the educated layperson and its obvious audience, students.” “[Cleveland] appropriately and generously acknowledges the many people who shepherded him through these challenge, but, in the end, his own patience and determination were crucial for the appearance of this remarkable work.” “This book is relevant, rich, and interesting for people who are interested in the histories of mining in colonial settings, the relationship between the colonial state and companies, the role of companies in the pacification of native peoples, and the emergence and reflections of the working class in the colonies.”

This book is relevant, rich, and interesting for people who are interested in the histories of mining in colonial settings, the relationship between the colonial state and companies, the role of companies in the pacification of native peoples, and the emergence and reflections of the working class in the colonies. [Cleveland] appropriately and generously acknowledges the many people who shepherded him through these challenge, but, in the end, his own patience and determination were crucial for the appearance of this remarkable work. [Cleveland] is particularly strong on African workers' experiences and perceptions of the mines and its Janus-faced character: getting well paid while being exploited. ... [Diamonds in the Rough] is balanced, showing that there are no facile answers and the Appendix, entitled Digging Deeper, contains useful discussion questions and suggestions for further reading, all of which enhances its quality for the educated layperson and its obvious audience, students. Diamonds in the Rough is a significant contribution to Angolan historiography and to the literature on mining on the continent. Cleveland persuasively argues that laborers on Angolan mines were active participants in shaping the stable conditions that made Diamang profitable, and, ironically, helped further the Portuguese regime in Angola. -- Marissa Moorman, author of Intonations: A Social History of Music and Nation in Luanda, Angola, from 1945 to Recent Times This meticulous study is a must read for scholars and graduate students interested in African labor history and Portuguese colonialism. Those with an interest in (diamond) mining will take away as much as those reading for information on forced labor or on the interplay between the Portuguese colonial state and concessional companies. However, those keen to learn about the rich texture of workers' experiences, both on and o the mine, stand to gain the most.

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Todd Cleveland is a distinguished professor of history at the University of Arkansas. His books include these Ohio University Press titles: Sports in Africa, Past and Present (2020), Following the Ball: The Migration of African Soccer Players across the Portuguese Colonial Empire, 1949–1975 (2017), Diamonds in the Rough: Corporate Paternalism and African Professionalism on the Mines of Colonial Angola, 1917–1975 (2015), and Stones of Contention: A History of Africa’s Diamonds (2014).

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