A Companion to African History

William H Worger editor Nwando Achebe editor Charles Ambler editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Published:16th Nov '18

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

A Companion to African History cover

Covers the history of the entire African continent, from prehistory to the present day

A Companion to African History embraces the diverse regions, subject matter, and disciplines of the African continent, while also providing chronological and geographical coverage of basic historical developments. Two dozen essays by leading international scholars explore the challenges facing this relatively new field of historical enquiry and present the dynamic ways in which historians and scholars from other fields such as archaeology, anthropology, political science, and economics are forging new directions in thinking and research. 

Comprised of six parts, the book begins with thematic approaches to African history—exploring the environment, gender and family, medical practices, and more. Section two covers Africa’s early history and its pre-colonial past—early human adaptation, the emergence of kingdoms, royal power, and warring states. The third section looks at the era of the slave trade and European expansion. Part four examines the process of conquest—the discovery of diamonds and gold, military and social response, and more. Colonialism is discussed in the sixth section, with chapters on the economy transformed due to the development of agriculture and mining industries. The last section studies the continent from post World War II all the way up to modern times.

  • Aims at capturing the enthusiasms of practicing historians, and encouraging similar passion in a new generation of scholars
  • Emphasizes linkages within Africa as well as between the continent and other parts of the world
  • All chapters include significant historiographical content and suggestions for further reading
  • Written by a global team of writers with unique backgrounds and views
  • Features case studies with illustrative examples

In a field traditionally marked by narrow specialisms, A Companion to African History is an ideal book for advanced students, researchers, historians, and scholars looking for a broad yet unique overview of African history as a whole.

"This wide-ranging collection provides timely historiographical entry points to some of the most lively conversations in the field of African history, as well as case studies illustrating contemporary methodological approaches."
D. McNutt, University of Tennessee Chattanooga
CHOICE, May 2019

ISBN: 9780470656310

Dimensions: 246mm x 175mm x 31mm

Weight: 953g

544 pages