Travels and Discoveries in North and Central Africa

Being a Journal of an Expedition Undertaken under the Auspices of H.B.M.'s Government, in the Years 1849–1855

Heinrich Barth author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:23rd Jun '11

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

Travels and Discoveries in North and Central Africa cover

This pioneering work of African exploration and ethnography, cited by Darwin, is still considered an important source on African cultures.

This pioneering account, published in 1857–1858, was a foundational text in the study of African history and ethnography. Barth set out to 'represent the tribes and nations … in their historical and ethnographical relation to the rest of mankind'. Cited by Darwin, it is still regarded as an important source.Born in Hamburg, Henry (Heinrich) Barth (1821–1865) studied history, archaeology, geography and Arabic. He joined James Richardson's 1849 expedition to Africa, which aimed to open the interior to trade and to study slavery. Following the deaths of Richardson (1851) and his colleague Overweg (1852), Barth led the expedition alone. His travels extended to Lake Chad in the east, Cameroon in the south and Timbuktu in the west. He was the first European to use the oral traditions of the local tribes for historical research, learning several African languages, and studying the history, resources and civilisations of the people he encountered. Barth's five-volume account includes plates, engravings and detailed annotated maps. Published in both English and German in 1857–1858, it is still regarded as a major source on African culture. Volume 5 describes Barth's demanding trek homewards, retracing his route along the Niger and via Kano to Tripoli.

ISBN: 9781108029476

Dimensions: 216mm x 140mm x 41mm

Weight: 930g

742 pages