Rake provides short profiles of Africa's leaders and their main challengers. It concentrates on the presidents and military rulers in power and those most likely to replace them. Each profile has a short assessment of the character and career followed by a comprehensive life history. This is told in strict chronological order, on a country by country basis. The essential facts about each leader are featured in bold type at the beginning of each biography—the leader's rank, date of birth, ethnicity, religion, and political party.

More than a dry list of facts and dates, this volume includes insight, anecdote, comment, and a general assessment. The author has tried to show the part the leader has played in shaping the main events affecting his country during his time in office.