I can see why this book was impactful for its time and its critique of America however its critique fails to be completely realized as the ethnocentric mindsets of all the European charachters remains unconfronted. Their pride, lack of resolve, indecisiveness and ignorance are examined but not from the perspective of post-orientalist theory. Rather the issue is laid out as "civilized" Americans in "uncivilized" Africa. This author would have benefitted from a discussion with Edward Said but we perhaps cannot blame him for not seeing how anti-orientalist theory would develop decades after this book leaving this narrative a less than timeless critique of the American and European mindset.