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Mansa Musa and the Empire of Mali
Oliver's well-researched biography of Mansa Musa reads like an exotic tale of gold, glory, and adventure. During his long reign as Mali's emperor, Mansa Musa led his empire into its Golden Age; presided over a spectacular, 60,000 person, 9,000 mile pilgrimage; founded a university in Timbuktu; and helped revolutionize architecture across the Sudan. Oliver does not allow Musa's story to get bogged down in detail by seamlessly weaving a lot of history into his narrative and by supplying curious readers with an extensive Glossary.
Many of the African ancestors of today's African-Americans came from West Africa. From 700 -- 1600 A. D., one after the other, three great, black, commercial empires dominated West Africa. They were powerful, prosperous, complex, stable -- and large. At its height, the Empire of Mali was the size of all of Western Europe.
Well-crafted and fast paced, Oliver's book is enhanced by a liberal sprinkling of enjoyable drawings, clear and helpful maps, and interesting photos. Not only are Mansa Musa's triumphs and dilemmas clearly portrayed, but so are the lives of the people of medieval Mali.
Many of the African ancestors of today's African-Americans came from West Africa. From 700 -- 1600 A. D., one after the other, three great, black, commercial empires dominated West Africa. They were powerful, prosperous, complex, stable -- and large. At its height, the Empire of Mali was the size of all of Western Europe.
Well-crafted and fast paced, Oliver's book is enhanced by a liberal sprinkling of enjoyable drawings, clear and helpful maps, and interesting photos. Not only are Mansa Musa's triumphs and dilemmas clearly portrayed, but so are the lives of the people of medieval Mali.
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 26, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
October 28, 2018
When I was in the ninth standard,for reasons unknown to me,the African history was deleted out of the syllabus.So when I saw a documentary on National Geographic,I was angry at school management for keeping us in the dark about the richest man in the world.Then,I picked up this book on Amazon and when I started reading it,I found myself back in my history class.The purpose of the book is to educate more and more history buffs about Mansa Musa.The words used are simple and the maps and drawings make a lasting impression.P.James Oliver seems to be one of the best history teachers.And there lies the only problem with the book.The critical appraisal of Mansa Musa is missing.Hence,he is shown to be a perfect king but his shortcomings have not been mentioned.Coming to the rating part,I think the author has tried well to bring to light the times of Mansa Musa but over simplified the story.Hence,I rate the book as four stars.
December 17, 2020
3.5 stars
This was a very short read and I read it in a matter of a couple of hours. It is a very basic account of the life of Mansa Musa who was emperor of the Mali empire during its Golden Age.
I believe this is mostly aimed at a younger audience as the language, detail and descriptions are generally quite simple. This would kaye it attractive to students who are interested in African empires.
Whilst it is good, I feel it doesn't really tell me much about the Mali empire or Musa. Most of the story was his Hajj journey.
This was a very short read and I read it in a matter of a couple of hours. It is a very basic account of the life of Mansa Musa who was emperor of the Mali empire during its Golden Age.
I believe this is mostly aimed at a younger audience as the language, detail and descriptions are generally quite simple. This would kaye it attractive to students who are interested in African empires.
Whilst it is good, I feel it doesn't really tell me much about the Mali empire or Musa. Most of the story was his Hajj journey.
May 14, 2019
Mansa Musa was the Emperor of the Malinese Empire in the early 1300’s. His leadership brought the Empire into a Golden Age. A generous and seemingly fair leader, he achieved greatness not only due to his military prowess and expansion of land but his emphasis on culture and architecture.
One element of the story entails a journey across the Sahara. The extravagence of his pilgrimage was so awe-inspiring that people flocked to see this foreign ruler and his entourage. His flaunted power and wealth saw international interest in trade and commerce to what was previously a land so distant it was unchartered for many years.
This book was short. It contained illustrations of maps, cave art, architecture, canoes, attire, hairstyles and much more. A glossary expanded on many of the earlier topics raised.
The feel of the book was more of a 5 star rating as it felt like the ‘did you know’ facts were more prominent than the usual detail that other historical books provide. The end result is that the main points to remember stand out, particularly that of the University of Sankore, the cave art and the addax as well as the wonder lust of the leader.
What is missing is the in depth expansion of the reign of Mansa Musa, the intricate international relations and political struggles, for example slavery is briefly mentioned as well as being a fair leader. Overall, I am glad that I read this particular book over various others on the same topic as it has added sufficiently to my learning and if I want to consider further reading, it isn’t hard to do so.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes history, great civilizations and stories about long journeys.
One element of the story entails a journey across the Sahara. The extravagence of his pilgrimage was so awe-inspiring that people flocked to see this foreign ruler and his entourage. His flaunted power and wealth saw international interest in trade and commerce to what was previously a land so distant it was unchartered for many years.
This book was short. It contained illustrations of maps, cave art, architecture, canoes, attire, hairstyles and much more. A glossary expanded on many of the earlier topics raised.
The feel of the book was more of a 5 star rating as it felt like the ‘did you know’ facts were more prominent than the usual detail that other historical books provide. The end result is that the main points to remember stand out, particularly that of the University of Sankore, the cave art and the addax as well as the wonder lust of the leader.
What is missing is the in depth expansion of the reign of Mansa Musa, the intricate international relations and political struggles, for example slavery is briefly mentioned as well as being a fair leader. Overall, I am glad that I read this particular book over various others on the same topic as it has added sufficiently to my learning and if I want to consider further reading, it isn’t hard to do so.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes history, great civilizations and stories about long journeys.
October 5, 2018
I give it 3.5 stars, but this is a book for younger readers. Anyone who like me was expecting a historic account will be disappointed. This is a carefully woven story of the Emperor of Mali, undoubtedly following real sources, but to be read as a series of short simplified chapters. It does however give a brilliant insight into the life and times of this great man, once again challenging European centric history and revealing the great civilisations in the continent of Africa that preceded European growth. I particularly enjoyed the many references to scholarly sources that I shall be following up on. it just makes me want to visit Mali asap!
December 29, 2021
A thoroughly enjoyable, if very brief, introduction to a great, and in the West largely unknown, ruler and the building of his empire - Mansa Musa of Mali. The glossary in fact contains even more engrossing facts than the story itself - which is aimed at young readers. Also comes with a comprehensive bibliography for further reading, which I will definitely be venturing into to learn more of this fascinating period of history.
December 24, 2024
Poorly written but a very interesting part of history
May 9, 2020
A refreshing, empowering, wondrous unearthing of fact.
READ THIS SENTENCE: These complex, well-organised systems provided Mali's people with a standard of living that was, in terms of food, personal safety, freedom, comparable to or better than that found in contemporary Europe. Doesn't that just sound great? It's the sound of the decolonisation of history in full swing.
This is the beautifully written short tale of Mansa Musa, Emperor of the Kingdom of Mali, who presided over an unprecedented golden age in West Africa. Musa, a devout Muslim, travelled across the Sahara, along with a caravan of thousands of followers from Niani to Mecca, distributing untold riches on his way.
The book goes someway to dispelling the myth that the most significant event in West African history was the arrival of Europeans and the commencement of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. A myth our national curriculum has been painfully complicit in promoting. In my experience it's a narrative that is obscured from even history teachers themselves, although finally it is beginning to be eradicated by a re-emphasis on modern scholarship.
A very easy read, but backed up by a comprehensive bibliography, it's a great way to introduce children to an engaging story grounded in truth. That said, if you're an adult, you most likely haven't heard of Mansa either, and should definitely grab a copy too. I just wish it was longer.
READ THIS SENTENCE: These complex, well-organised systems provided Mali's people with a standard of living that was, in terms of food, personal safety, freedom, comparable to or better than that found in contemporary Europe. Doesn't that just sound great? It's the sound of the decolonisation of history in full swing.
This is the beautifully written short tale of Mansa Musa, Emperor of the Kingdom of Mali, who presided over an unprecedented golden age in West Africa. Musa, a devout Muslim, travelled across the Sahara, along with a caravan of thousands of followers from Niani to Mecca, distributing untold riches on his way.
The book goes someway to dispelling the myth that the most significant event in West African history was the arrival of Europeans and the commencement of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. A myth our national curriculum has been painfully complicit in promoting. In my experience it's a narrative that is obscured from even history teachers themselves, although finally it is beginning to be eradicated by a re-emphasis on modern scholarship.
A very easy read, but backed up by a comprehensive bibliography, it's a great way to introduce children to an engaging story grounded in truth. That said, if you're an adult, you most likely haven't heard of Mansa either, and should definitely grab a copy too. I just wish it was longer.
February 19, 2015
The book was such a pleasant read. I takes you back to ancient Mali at the time when the empire flourished. I learnt of the empires of Songhai and Mali in history class with Sundiata being the most prominent name in my memory but this book was suggested on Goodreads based on my reading interests and I figured it would be worthwhile read. The writing is very narrative –imagine your grandpa telling you a story of great rulers, discoveries and riches - like beautiful oral history.
I would recommend this for anyone middle school age and above. It is an enchanting history of African civilization not often told or remembered. I just found out through a friends facebook that the history channel will be doing a segment on Mansa Musa so that is something I will definitely be watching for a more in-depth account. I couldn’t find any information on the author P. James Oliver but the accounts in the book seemed to be well researched and all sources are highlighted at the end.
www.informalguides.com
I would recommend this for anyone middle school age and above. It is an enchanting history of African civilization not often told or remembered. I just found out through a friends facebook that the history channel will be doing a segment on Mansa Musa so that is something I will definitely be watching for a more in-depth account. I couldn’t find any information on the author P. James Oliver but the accounts in the book seemed to be well researched and all sources are highlighted at the end.
www.informalguides.com
January 29, 2021
We thoroughly enjoyed this addition to our study of the countries of Africa. It's so good to learn about wealth, cultural advances, and leadership skills of African people instead of painting an entire continent as poor and third-world.
February 10, 2023
A pre-read to see if I will include it in my daughter’s Middle Ages studies next year - I will. Enjoyed it more than McKissack’s Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay, though the scope was obviously less. A quick, interesting read on a topic not found in most history books.
March 10, 2024
A great kids book about a great man. I wish I'd had this one to assign my older kids when they were still being homeschooled.
May 9, 2022
The book offered very little of Mansa Muse’s life, that I as a novice on the man did not already know. The glossary was the best bit, and I’m not sure I’ve said that about a book before.
December 9, 2025
I finished pre-reading this for our curriculum next year.
This book is written in a factual story telling method to help bring to life the ancient king Mansa Musa. It has simple drawings and photos to help bring the stories to life.
The book tells of Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca and how he expanded Muslim influence in Mali.
I would still like to find a book slightly more engaging and written by someone from Africa, but it’s the best I’ve found so far.
Word of warning to parents:
It does talk about how at the end of a pilgrimage worshipers are to refrain from “sexual relations”. Thats all it says, but just a heads up it’s there.
This book is written in a factual story telling method to help bring to life the ancient king Mansa Musa. It has simple drawings and photos to help bring the stories to life.
The book tells of Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca and how he expanded Muslim influence in Mali.
I would still like to find a book slightly more engaging and written by someone from Africa, but it’s the best I’ve found so far.
Word of warning to parents:
It does talk about how at the end of a pilgrimage worshipers are to refrain from “sexual relations”. Thats all it says, but just a heads up it’s there.
July 12, 2017
Interesting and underrated history
I had heard of Mansa Musa being the richest man in the world but didn't know much about how he became that until reading this book. It's a really good read and tells roundabouts side of Africa you don't hear about often.
This book is a very easy read and I have only given it 4 stars because I would of liked to know a bit more about Mansa Musa. This is a book that gives a good introduction to how Africa was before slavery and I would recommend it to everyone
I had heard of Mansa Musa being the richest man in the world but didn't know much about how he became that until reading this book. It's a really good read and tells roundabouts side of Africa you don't hear about often.
This book is a very easy read and I have only given it 4 stars because I would of liked to know a bit more about Mansa Musa. This is a book that gives a good introduction to how Africa was before slavery and I would recommend it to everyone
April 16, 2020
Mali was the place to be!!
As a black American it is truly difficult to find any substantive (albeit imagined factually)history of ancient African civilizations - especially when you start discussing them as a “super power” if their day. Years and lack of connection to that culture and civilization are impediments to finding any real truth as to how black (Africans) lived prior to the middle passage and slavery. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and will continue to revisit over time.
As a black American it is truly difficult to find any substantive (albeit imagined factually)history of ancient African civilizations - especially when you start discussing them as a “super power” if their day. Years and lack of connection to that culture and civilization are impediments to finding any real truth as to how black (Africans) lived prior to the middle passage and slavery. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and will continue to revisit over time.
July 3, 2018
A simple and easy read about emperor Mansa Musa and his Malian Empire. The Malian empire during the time of Mansa Musa was one of the strongest empires in the world. It is among the top three greatest empires in Western Africa.
Mansa Musa is famous for the amount of gold he had and for expanding the university of Sankoye in Timbuktu which is one of the oldest universities in the world. Part of what we know of Mansa Musa is from the written records found in Tumbuktu.
Mansa Musa is famous for the amount of gold he had and for expanding the university of Sankoye in Timbuktu which is one of the oldest universities in the world. Part of what we know of Mansa Musa is from the written records found in Tumbuktu.
September 26, 2019
This book on Mansa Musa of Mali is an informative and fascinating read. It would be ideal for middle or high school history class supplemental reading. Also, anyone who would like to learn more about this dynamic historic African ruler. The narrative was engaging and also full of so much interesting information.
October 16, 2017
This is a book for children, but if you want a quick introduction to the Empire of Mali and Mansa Musa that is not wikipedia this is for you. My low rating of this book is entirely because it white washes certain aspects of history for a younger audience.
January 1, 2022
Fascinating account of the life of the Mansa (“emperor”) Kankan Musa. Lived during the medieval times, the story begins as he comes into power over Mali as the Mansa. Nothing is described of his childhood (from what I’ve gleaned not much is known/no accounts have been kept/survived). Much context and background is included as the story is told (ex: while telling about Musa increasing Mali’s wealth, the scope of the empire’s boundaries and norms of its trade routes is included; and a concise history of the Muslim practice of making pilgrimage to Mecca and a biography of the prophet Muhammad is provided when Musa travels to Mecca, etc), this is extremely helpful as an uninformed reader to understand the cultural norms and nuance. By the end I wanted a chapter specifically exploring the politics and governing of Mali under Mansa Musa and how it worked so well for such a vast area of land for a length of time. I see parallels in our own society and wonder if flashing about his wealth before other nations contributed to the ultimate downfall of West Africa and wonder what part Europeans had in that, or was it neighboring nations? Both? Nothing is really explained other than the legacy of Musa following his death. So the ending felt rather abrupt to me—I expected at least another chapter or two or three because there were about 30 pages left in the book. Instead, the book ends and the last almost third of the book is supplemental appendices—a comprehensive glossary with definitions regarding people, places, customs, things etc. An author’s note that details his research process, notes regarding sources from within the text itself, and finally a bibliography of the many sources Oliver consulted while researching for his book. Overall a quick read that serves as a great intro to this part of world history, definitely glad I have a couple more books ordered on this period to flesh out more of the story. I think this would be good for kids even, the caveat being that the child is of a discerning age and understanding. I’d be ok handing it to my 11yo, or read it aloud with her. No real content considerations. A note is that Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim so Islam, Allah, and the prophet Muhammad are included in the story; Musa (unsuccessfully) attempted to force the southern gold miners to become Muslims at one point (they rebelled and Musa consented to their demands, thus avoiding costly civil war); Musa had multiple wives, as was the cultural norm; Musa had thousands of what the author terms within the text as servants but details in the glossary that slaves and servants didn’t always mean what they are defined as today, and some had rights and lived more comfortable lives than captured people who were enslaved. It is detailed that in Cairo the Citadel was built entirely by the multitude of enslaved (‘forced laborers’ in the text) European Christians, captured during the Crusades. Early in the book an anecdote is told of a man who chained up his children that they might not slack off in memorizing the Koran.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2020
A short biography of Mansa Musa, Emperor of Mali.
Mansa (means the emperor) Musa was the richest emperor of ancient Africa, with a vast empire bigger than modern Western Europe. The book is a short description of his reign, and his visit to Macca with 60,000 followers and huge amount of gold. Only a portion of that pile which was spent in Cairo during his visit, dropped gold’s market price significantly for 12 years.
His revolutionized idea behind cultivation, gold mining, gold trading, new style of architecture (a piece is still in Mali and a sample is in the book cover), introducing University etc were his dices in period. With exciting description of ancient Mali’s society, culture, trade, war and lot on the book is really great.
Mansa (means the emperor) Musa was the richest emperor of ancient Africa, with a vast empire bigger than modern Western Europe. The book is a short description of his reign, and his visit to Macca with 60,000 followers and huge amount of gold. Only a portion of that pile which was spent in Cairo during his visit, dropped gold’s market price significantly for 12 years.
His revolutionized idea behind cultivation, gold mining, gold trading, new style of architecture (a piece is still in Mali and a sample is in the book cover), introducing University etc were his dices in period. With exciting description of ancient Mali’s society, culture, trade, war and lot on the book is really great.
September 3, 2022
Well-written story about Mali, an empire in West Africa, during the 14th century. We follow Mansa Musa, Mali’s greatest emperor, as he travels through his own lands and then across the Sahara on his pilgrimage to Mecca. The illustrations are simple drawings, but quite helpful. The glossary not only defines important words and names of people; it also includes extra details about these topics which are not included in the main text, so it’s worthwhile to read all the way through it. The Kindle version is well done except for one strangely garbled sentence. A great choice for homeschool.
December 17, 2023
A quick, informational, and engaging read. When Kaitlyn loops back in history, I look forward to adding this in for her as it's written for a high elementary level and has illustrations. Adding resources that look beyond our Western (and European) world is so important, and this book made me curious to learn more about the great West African empires of the 1000s and forward.
It provides a good foundation of Islam as a world religion and focuses mostly on the Musa's journey to Mecca. It does seem to gloss over anything negative about Mali, Mansa Musa or Islam.
It provides a good foundation of Islam as a world religion and focuses mostly on the Musa's journey to Mecca. It does seem to gloss over anything negative about Mali, Mansa Musa or Islam.
June 16, 2017
Read this book
This book provides an engaging narrative of the history of Mansa Musa's reign of an the African Mali empire that rivaled and even surpassed it's European counterparts. If you are interested in African history or world history in general to be honest, you need to get this book. I used the text to speech feature to have it read to me and it was a good experience. I learned a lot without actually having to read the text, I just listened.
This book provides an engaging narrative of the history of Mansa Musa's reign of an the African Mali empire that rivaled and even surpassed it's European counterparts. If you are interested in African history or world history in general to be honest, you need to get this book. I used the text to speech feature to have it read to me and it was a good experience. I learned a lot without actually having to read the text, I just listened.
May 30, 2021
Although written for a young adult, it is highly engaging and provides substantial information for an introductory read. It is engaging, almost comical in parts. It runs through important aspects of Mansa Musa's Malian empire without being too fast nor too slow. It is a great book! Due to it being just under 100 pages I would say it is well worth a read even if you don't have a great interest in the topic. Saying that, the book highlights the importance of Malian heritage!
March 22, 2020
The book gives a short overview over the life of Mansa Musa and his hadj to Mekka. Unfortunately both, the author's style and the illustrations does it make a children's book and therefore not really reliable as a good scientific basic.
Still the book has a quite good glossary and an even better bibliography.
Still the book has a quite good glossary and an even better bibliography.
September 20, 2020
Surprised at the short length until I discovered this is written for younger readers. I appreciate the history lesson and the insistence on treating the kingdom of Mali as a true world power in an age where the term "super power" and Africa seem incongruent to each other. History is better for access to a story like this. Very accessible to opening eyes that want to be opened.
December 26, 2020
A great read, like many people here I never learned anything about this in school. I read it nightly with my twin 6 year olds and they, along with myself were fascinated by it. Highly recommended when you are looking for a story about Africa that inspires. I am really surprised that more stories haven't been written about this great emperor, he lead such an interesting life.
April 6, 2021
Quick, to the point, fun, and very interesting!
Oliver's short history on Mansa Musa and the Golden Age of the Mali Empire is a fantastic read about a subject that history tends to overlook. I would highly recommend this book to any and all people interested in African history or history in general.
Oliver's short history on Mansa Musa and the Golden Age of the Mali Empire is a fantastic read about a subject that history tends to overlook. I would highly recommend this book to any and all people interested in African history or history in general.
September 20, 2021
The book is short, concise and informative. I picked this up after listening to an episode of the "You're Dead to me" podcast, through no fault of the authors own the book is a repeat of this. Would have given this book a 4 star if I didn't keep questioning whether it was intended for adults or children. If you have 2 hours spare time this book will fill a gap in history that is rarely covered.
August 4, 2022
Cute book. Learned about the Mali empire which I knew absolutely nothing about, and got a sneak-peek into what treks were like through the Sahara and the importance of Mecca to pilgrims who travelled there. Lots of small details I wasn't aware of, like changing clothing to white when entering Mecca, how much each animal carried, how often people needed to drink water, etc.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews