Books A Certain Amount of Madness: The Life Politics and Legacies of Thomas Sankara (Black Critique)  by Amber Murrey (Author)

"A Certain Amount of Madness: The Life Politics and Legacies of Thomas Sankara (Black Critique)" by Amber Murrey likely explores the multifaceted life, radical leadership, and enduring impact of Thomas Sankara, the revolutionary Marxist and Pan-Africanist who led Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987.

Thomas Sankara, often called "Africa's Che Guevara," assumed power after a popular coup and launched a sweeping program of social, economic, and ecological reforms aimed at self-sufficiency, anti-imperialism, and social justice. Among his achievements were renaming the country Burkina Faso ("land of the upright people"), vaccinating millions of children, initiating literacy campaigns, planting trees to combat desertification, promoting women's rights, and rejecting foreign debt and aid conditions tied to imperialist influence. Sankara was known for his charismatic leadership style, moral integrity, and grassroots approach, where government officials and himself took part in community work.

His legacy is complex and debated, as his revolutionary policies challenged entrenched power structures in Africa and abroad, and his assassination in 1987 cut his efforts short but cemented his iconic status in Pan-Africanist and leftist movements.