"Harvey's compelling study adds significantly to our understanding of the "resource curse" that has bedevilled many oil-rich countries in Africa and elsewhere. Tracing the political and economic trajectories of two of the African continent's oil-producing giants, Nigeria and Angola, he applies an innovative game-theoretic analysis to explain the two countries' distinct developmental outcomes. The book will be of great interest to scholars and advanced students of African and comparative politics and development. It also offers valuable insights for practitioners looking to improve governance in resource-rich countries." Professor Anthony Butler Professor of Political Studies, University of Cape Town "Coups, Military Rule and Autocratic Consolidation is an excellent book that makes a solid contribution to scholarship and to the literature on oil and its influence in institutional formation and evolution in Angola and Nigeria." Alex Vines, OBE, PhD, Director, Africa Programme, Chatham House; Assistant Professor, Coventry University, UK "This book successfully clarifies some of the core issues and challenges that bedevil development in Africa. Why do African nations, well-endowed with natural resources, continue to be associated with dismal development, corruption and poor governance? Can extractive industries in Africa ever be harnessed to reduce rent-seeking behaviour by elite governing groups? Can African nations, dependant on resource extraction, ever develop institutional arrangements that are truly compatible with global engagement? Ross Harvey provides a cogent insight into the often opaque arrangements that govern elite politics in Africa by unpacking the impact of oil-for-infrastructure deals on institutional formation, factional diversity, and the differing political settlements that have developed within Angola and Nigeria." Harry Stephan Director of Stephan Bros; former Lecturer in Political Economy, University of Cape Town.