The History of Africa: The Quest for Eternal Harmony

by Molefi Kete Asante

Overview

The new edition of this comprehensive survey of African history provides an accessible overview of the continent’s narrative, focusing on the autonomy and achievements of the African people.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032397689
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	01/31/2024
Edition description:	4th ed.
Pages:	490
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Molefi Kete Asante is Professor of Africology at Temple University, USA. He is the author of 101 books including the forthcoming Africa's Gifts of the Spirit. He is the author of African American People: A Global History, The Afrocentric Manifesto, and Revolutionary Pedagogy.

Table of Contents

Illustrations     ix
Acknowledgments     x
Preface     xi
Introduction     1
The time of awakening     7
Africa and the origin of humanity     9
The age of literacy     15
Africa and the beginning of civilization     17
The rise of Kemet/Egypt     24
The elements of early African civilization     31
Governance and the political stability of Kemet     39
The moment of realization     79
The emergence of the great river kingdoms     81
The age of construction     91
The spread of classical empires and kingdoms     93
The Sudanic empires: historians and their narratives     116
Generators of traditional and contemporary Africa     143
Societies of secrets: farmers and metallurgists     166
The time of the chaos     207
Arab and European missionaries, merchants, and mercenaries     209
Resisting European and Arab slave traders     222
The age of reconstruction     257
Africa regains consciousness in a Pan-African explosion     259
The time for consolidation     293
Africa consolidates independence     295
Toward a United States of Africa without compromise: creation of the African Union     335
Chronology of African history     351
Some African ethnic groups     372
Major linguistic complexes     376
Bibliography     377
Index     381

Editorial Reviews

"In this fourth edition of The History of Africa the historian and philosopher Molefi Kete Asante has extended the reach of his already best-selling and popular book. This edition is heavily illustrated with updated photographs, charts, and graphs as well as key narratives on themes and memes in politics, ecology, and demographics. The unique and well-researched areas of history involving the agency of the African people themselves are further highlighted with dramatic examples that bring to life the experiences of the ordinary people of Africa, and narrations of documents central to understanding the unfolding of African history.

The History of Africa written by the most prolific African American scholar is already one of the most classic books ever written on African history. It is praised by scholars who have studied Africa for decades as well as those who are newcomers to the field. Asante’s history releases the history of Africa from the chains of observers who see Africa as object and his work thrusts the continent and its people into the forefront of Africa as actors, not as spectators to the visions of others. In this way Asante’s fourth edition of The History of Africa is a visionary work based solidly on the grounding that comes from the overwhelming nature of the evidence, resources, and experiences of African people. No other history of Africa is so conscious of the narrative of its people from human origin to the 21^st century."

Jabali Ade, Temple University, USA, editor of Afrocentricity in Afro-Futurism: Toward Afrocentric Futurism

From the Publisher