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Title: AFRICA IN HISTORY by Basil Davidson ISBN: 0-684-82667-4 Publisher: Touchstone Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 1995 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.67 (3 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: High level history - great intro
Comment: This book emphasized the social and historical effects that trade and commerce have had on changing the landscape of African society. I was fascinated to learn about the many kingdoms and empires that existed in ancient Africa. The details of the great trading cities of the West coast, and the great trading kingdoms of the East Sudan areas were new information for me. Also, the effect of the slave trade on disrupting political and socio-economic situations was disheartening. Finally, the current political situation was explained, and I got a picture of how things got to the mess they are today. Now I see how the family unit was disrupted by colonization economics, and how the breakdown of society has affected all levels. Unfortunately, this book was written before the plague of AIDS, the recent Afro-unification efforts, and the South African Peace and Reconciliation commission were set up. So I look forward to reading more about those situations. Additionally, I think the author was soft on many of the corrupt and failed leaders that have squandered so many efforts for democracy and justice that have been attempted in the past fifty years. But taken in light of the long and troubled history of this land, I am not left without hope. The main failure of this book in my opinion, was the lack of the heart of the African, with its inner sense of joy and ability to survive even the harshest situations that I have so learned to admire in my African friends I have made over the years, was not explored. The personal face of the diverse and warm-hearted peoples of this content was not shown by this more academic and political history. So that inspires me to read more about this amazing continent.
Rating: 3
Summary: I'll just add to what's above
Comment: Without knowing much on the subject, I will say that all the arguments in this book seem sound. However, it is written in such an incoherant manner - switching back and forth from century to century, that you often don't know what century the author is talking about, much less his current argument. Instead the book comes across as Basil rambling, and this has more to do with the above stated, "being told much, but being told nothing." You'd have to re-write every fact and place them all in cronological order to make any sense of it.
Rating: 4
Summary: Excellent overview of African history
Comment: Basil Davidson has written an excellent overview of African history, ranging from the Egyptian and Nubian kingdoms to the trading empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhay. An especially adept treatment is given to the Colonial Period; Refraining from the accepted subjective views, Davidson tries to analyze the true effect Europeans had on the continent, without pathos or exaggeration. This does not mean that he resents their interference less - few authors could hold more negative views of individual European exploiters making use of the continent for their private ends.
One point against this book is that it is perhaps too short for its scope. Less than 400 pages, the reader is left with the sensation that he has been told much, and yet has been told nothing - an appropriate sensation, perhaps, to provide the incentive to continue reading about the subject, but the aggregate increase in knowledge resulting from the reading is still not large.
Nevertheless, I would warmly recommend this book to anybody seriously interested in the African subject.
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Title: African Civilization Revisited: From Antiquity to Modern Times by Basil Davidson ISBN: 0865431248 Publisher: Africa World Press Pub. Date: November, 1990 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: The Black Man's Burden : Africa and the Curse of the Nation-State by Basil Davidson ISBN: 0812922107 Publisher: Three Rivers Press Pub. Date: 27 April, 1993 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Lost Cities of Africa by Basil Davidson ISBN: 0316174319 Publisher: Back Bay Books Pub. Date: 1959 List Price(USD): $21.99 |
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Title: History of Africa by Kevin Shillington ISBN: 0312125984 Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Pub. Date: August, 1995 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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Title: King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild ISBN: 0618001905 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co Pub. Date: October, 1999 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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