African Experience: From Olduvai Gorge To The 21st Century (History of Civilization) - Hardcover

Oliver, Prof Roland

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0297643665 ISBN 13: 9780297643661

Publisher: W&N, 1999

Synopsis

First published in 1991, this is a work of reflection on the substance of African history, the distillation of a lifetime¿s research and teaching. Roland Oliver traces, in twenty chapters, the history of Africa from the earliest evolution of man or `pre-man¿ up to the present day, concentrating on the great themes of African history. So for example ¿The Bricks of Babel¿ describes the evolution of African languages; `Peoples of the Book¿, the arrival of Judaism, Christianity and Islam; `Masters and Slaves¿, slavery and the slave trade in Africa; `Strangers at the Gates¿, the 19th-century impact
of Europeans; `the Slippery Slope¿, African governments in their first decades of independence.
For this new edition Professor Oliver has made a number of revisions, including a new chapter summarising the triumphs and disasters of the 1990s.

About this title

Book Description:

A brilliant survey of African history, now revised to include the events of the 1990s.

Synopsis:

Revised to include the events of the 1990s, this volume covers the entire span of human history across the African continent, from the earliest emergence of hominids in Eastern and Southern Africa up to the present day. The book is arranged thematically, beginning with the human colonization of the different regions of Africa, the origins of food production, and the formation of African languages. The achievements of Ancient Egypt are placed in context with the developments in the rest of the continent, and the spread of the monotheistic religions of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. The tradition of urban settlement is traced, especially in Western Africa and the extent and nature of slavery is fully discussed, together with the external slave trade and the caravan trade in pre-colonial times. This leads to an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of African political systems, including why these systems were unable to withstand political pressure from abroad and the ensuing colonization. Later chapters describe the birth of modern African nation-states.

About this edition

• Publisher: W&N
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0297643665
• ISBN 13: 9780297643661
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 320