The true story of the Mau Mau uprising from 1952 to 1960 in Kenya is recounted for the first time. The book refers to the "dirty" war conflict waged by the British in Kenya, in view of the country's independence in 1964. In 1952, after years of tensions and grievances, the complaints of the Gikuyu people of central Kenya led to an open rebellion. During the hostilities, only 32 European settlers lost their lives, but more than 1,800 African civilians, over 3,000 African police and soldiers, and 12,000 Mau Mau revolutionaries were killed. From 1953 to 1956, the British hanged over a thousand Kenyans, often on false or nonexistent charges. Meanwhile, 70,000 people were imprisoned in camps without trial for periods ranging from two to six years. David Anderson provides a complete and compelling account of a war in which both sides behaved badly, resulting in neither party being able to be fully exonerated from blame or exclusively accused. These events are still in our memory, and the testimonies of eyewitnesses serve as the compass for this controversial history.