African History, Richard Rathbone
African History, Richard Rathbone
List: $12.99 | Sale: $9.10
Club: $6.49

African History
A Very Short Introduction

Author: Richard Rathbone, John Parker

Narrator: TBD

Unabridged: 4 hr 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 05/25/2021

Synopsis

This Very Short Introduction looks at Africa's past and reflects on the changing ways it has been imagined and represented, both in Africa and beyond. The author illustrates important aspects of Africa's history with a range of fascinating historical examples, drawn from over five millennia across this vast continent. The multitude of topics that the listener will learn about in this succinct work include the unity and diversity of African cultures, slavery, religion, colonial conquest, the diaspora, and the importance of history in understanding contemporary Africa. The book examines questions such as: Who invented the idea of "Africa"? How is African history pieced together, given such a lack of documentary evidence? How did Africa interact with the world 1,000 years ago?

Africa has been known as "the cradle of mankind," and its recoverable history stretches back to the Pharaohs. But the idea of studying African history is itself new, and the authors show why it is still contested and controversial. This VSI, the first concise work of its kind, will prove essential for anyone interested in the African continent and the diversity of human history.

About Richard Rathbone

Richard Rathbone is Honorary Professor of History in the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and Emeritus Professor in History at the School of Oriental and African Studies. His other books include Murder and Politics in Colonial Ghana and Nkrumah and the Chiefs.

Reviews

Goodreads review by robin on March 19, 2025

African History In The Very Short Introductions Series The "Very Short Introduction" series of Oxford University Press offers readers the opportunity to expand their knowledge in many directions. African history is a subject I know little about but was interested to explore in this "very short introd......more

Goodreads review by R on April 05, 2018

This is not a book about the history of Africa. It is a book about African history as a discipline. The writing can be quite tedious and there is plenty of academic second guessing and naval gazing. The best thing about a Very Short Introduction is how it can condense a topic down to its core parts......more

Goodreads review by Benjamin on May 27, 2016

It's not an introduction to Africa's past, it's an introduction to the big questions around researching African History. I loved it.......more

Goodreads review by Amirography on December 17, 2017

A very interesting book. It's a meta-history of Africa. The author talks about the very different views on the African history, how it is conducted and how we should study it. I found it as what I expect VSI to be. Fluency: 4/5 Style:4/5 Content: 5/5......more

Goodreads review by Pedro on October 09, 2013

"A very short introduction" it's a very good summary of the main topics that are needed for the elemental understanding of the historiography of Africa. It is a very useful book to have if you want to know what to research or how to begin a study on the continent's past, present and even future. It......more

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List