Monomotapa, Zulu, Basuto: Southern Africa (African Kingdoms of the Past) - Softcover

Mann, Kenny

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0382393007 ISBN 13: 9780382393006

Publisher: Dillon Pr, 1996

Synopsis

Tracing the history of four African kingdoms which once occupied the region south of the Zambezi River, this study offers insights into the distinctive customs of the indigenous peoples of southern Africa and examines how the European powers changed lifein the area forever through colonization and conflict.Presents a detailed study of the fall of the great kingdoms of South Africa as they were permanently changed because of rapid colonization and the continuous waves of European traders, gold seekers, missionaries, and soldiers

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 8 Up. Border designs, pastel pages, and striking layouts that include art objects, full-color photographs, and contemporary engravings give these series entries immense visual vitality. Each book opens with an introduction, followed by a historical account of each kingdom. Epilogues bring the areas into the 20th century. Mann's writing is interesting and generally clear, though aspects of organization are confusing, e.g., chapters on single kingdoms are not gathered into units. A few puzzling inaccuracies crop up, such as naming Milton Obote as Zimbabwe's first prime minister (Monomotapa). Multicolored maps, while easy to read, do not include some features considered important enough to be mentioned in the text, and many terms in the fascinating sidebars are not found in the indexes. Partly because they draw on a wealth of good secondary sources, the chapters on Kongo may provide the best treatment of an African kingdom for young people, for they are unique in their detail and in the way that they deal with the variety of sources used by historians in finding out about Africa's past. Archaeological and linguistic evidence are discussed in the introduction. Monomotapa is weaker, in part because it covers so much ground but also because, for Zulu, Shaka, and the Mfecane, Mann relies uncritically on common South African sources that reflect history written in a white-dominated society.?Loretta Kreider Andrews, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dillon Pr
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0382393007
• ISBN 13: 9780382393006
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 105