A Companion to African History

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.

William H. Worger, PhD, is Professor of History at the University of California, Los Angeles. He specializes in the social and economic history of southern Africa.

Charles Ambler, PhD, is Professor of History and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Texas at El Paso. He is the author of a number of articles on mass media and popular culture in Africa.

Nwando Achebe, PhD, is the Jack and Margaret Sweet Endowed Professor of History and an award-winning historian at Michigan State University. Her research interests involve the use of oral history in the study of women, gender, and sexuality in Nigeria.