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A review by michareads
A Short History of Africa by Roland Anthony Oliver, J.D. Fage
informative
slow-paced
3.75
I read the 1970 edition. A product of its time, it focusses almost exclusively on the history of state building on the African continent. It is not a history of the people of Africa. One could even say it’s a history of the endeavours of Europeans and Arabs in Africa.
The lack of Africans in this book could well be explained by the exemplary scholarship of the authors. What is not known is not speculated upon (and maybe therefore ending up with quite a ‘white’ account). The unknowns about pre-colonial Africa (at the time) are often explicitly acknowledged and little to no inductions are made. The paragraphs about the apartheid regime read as a modern day account, showing a contemporary sensibility and sympathy.
To make sense of this 50 year old book, I read ‘A very short introduction of African History’ (2007) which I can highly recommend.
The lack of Africans in this book could well be explained by the exemplary scholarship of the authors. What is not known is not speculated upon (and maybe therefore ending up with quite a ‘white’ account). The unknowns about pre-colonial Africa (at the time) are often explicitly acknowledged and little to no inductions are made. The paragraphs about the apartheid regime read as a modern day account, showing a contemporary sensibility and sympathy.
To make sense of this 50 year old book, I read ‘A very short introduction of African History’ (2007) which I can highly recommend.