A history of Sub-Saharan Africa / Robert O. Collins and James M. Burns.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Collins, Robert O., 1933-2008.

Contributor:

Burns, James McDonald.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Africa, Sub-Saharan--History.

Africa, Sub-Saharan.

Sub-Saharan Africa.

History.

Physical Description:

xii, 406 pages : illustrations, maps ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Summary:

In a trawl through the entire sweep of sub-Saharan history, the authors, both teachers of African history and experienced travelers to the region, have written an accessible and comprehensive introduction for students and general readers. The opening chapter on geography and climate frames the discussion, demonstrating how the environment has shaped the societies and cultures of those living in the region. Thereafter they describe the rise of states and empires in the classical period, the slave trade within Africa and beyond to the Americas, and the European conquest. The concluding section focuses on Africa in the twentieth century as it gains independence and searches for a new identity beyond colonialism. While the authors mull over the debates which have shaped the study of African history over the last decade, at the center of this story are the tragedies, triumphs, and resilience of the African people. The book is illustrated with photographs, maps and sidebars which feature the salient points on either side of a debate, and lists of further reading for those who want to delve deeper.

Contents:

1 The historical geography of Africa 7

2 Kingdoms on the Nile 23

3 The peoples of sub-Saharan Africa: society, culture, language 40

4 Crops, cows, and iron 52

5 Northeast Africa in the age of Aksum 64

6 Empires of the plains 78

7 East Africa and the Indian Ocean world 96

8 The Lake Plateau of East Africa 114

9 Societies and states of the West African forest 128

10 Kingdoms and trade in Central Africa 142

11 The peoples and states of southern Africa 159

Part II Africa in world history

12 The arrival of Europeans in sub-Saharan Africa 175

13 Diseases and crops: old and new 191

14 Slavery in Africa 202

15 The Atlantic slave trade 213

16 The Asian slave trade 228

Part III Imperial Africa

17 Prelude to the European conquest of Africa 251

18 The European conquest of Africa 265

19 Africans, Dutch, and the British in South Africa, 1486-1910 280

20 European colonial rule in Africa 296

21 The colonial legacy 309

Part IV Independent Africa

22 Nationalism and the independence of colonial Africa 331

23 The Union of South Africa and the apartheid state 344

24 A decade of hope 357

25 Cold war Africa 366

26 Africa at the beginning of the twenty-first century 377.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0521867460

9780521867467

052168708X

9780521687089

OCLC:

74987517

Online:

Publisher description