If you want to learn Early African History START HERE

by Robin Walker

What they had in common was that they were unsure of where to begin their reading and study but they still wanted to find out more information. This book was written to simplify that journey. As the author of When We Ruled a 700 plus page book on African history, I could also see the need to produce a smaller book that condenses and simplifies the information. I want to make the data as accessible as possible--hence this book. This book is in two parts. The first part is called If you want to learn Early African History START HERE. The second part is called 50 Questions and Answers on the History of Black People. The first part of the book, If you want to learn Early African History START HERE, is a general introduction to Classical African history covering the most important ancient and medieval empires. It began life as two separate lectures that I gave to introduce African history. One of the lectures was called When We Ruled: Thousands of Years of a Visible African Heritage. The second lecture was called The Lost Civilisations of Central Africa. To write this section of the book, I combined these two lectures into one narrative. In the final part of this section, I suggest other sources that a student could read to advance their knowledge even more. The second part of the book, 50 Questions and Answers on the History of Black People, began life when a colleague approached me to give him an extended interview on Black or African history. The colleague posed 50 varied questions to me to which I gave extended answers. He asked me about Nile Valley history, Ancient Kingdoms and Empires, The Slave Trade, earlier Black historians and their writings, etcetera. I hope that the 50 questions answer most of the questions that people raise concerning Black or African history. Robin Walker

Genres: History

110 pages, Paperback

First published June 2, 2011

Reviews

[Sazza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting succint view of African history which enables the reader to learn about diverse, rich histories in a digestible way. Sometimes there is alot to take in but if you read the book on different empires at different times its easier to absorb. Would definitely recommend.

[Kai Hodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and interesting read on ancient african history

Perfect intro to african history the author also has recommendations for further reading at the end of this book. Very good

[SoFrolushes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good start or refresher to early African history.

[Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Start

This is an excellent start for anyone who wants to start a learning journey into African history, but doesn't want to be overwhelmed.

[Mikki D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning the extraordinary gifts Africa have given to mankind was truly an eye opener. From the extensive highly populated Timbuktu that in the 5th century had 3 storey houses with indoor toilets, and universities and schools, to the great Kush civilization that offer visa pyramids that scientists still baffle at how they were made. Also the Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of Amen, a great architectural wonder and one of the largest religious complexes ever built.

There are ancient civilizations from West, East and South Africa that traded in salt, leather, gold and books on a scale that would equal to today's standards. Ethiopia has some of the oldest Christian churches in Lalibela carved out from rocks. There are even 12th century knights of Kanem Boru who wore chainmail.. not sure how they managed in all that heat!

There is so much to learn about ancient Africa.. Marcus Garvey said "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots." Since Africa is the cornerstone of humanity, I think it is all our duty to learn more, and this book is good place to start.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

For someone trying to delve into the African jeweled history, this book had be hooked from the start. Robin Walker writes of an Africa so rich in culture and knowledge just as its minerals. Kings ruled with iron fists but were generous and well known across the globe from traders to those who wished to be on their side.
The learning about books being one of the highest trades in west Africa filled me with so much joy. As we exported jewels, leather, books, weapons, so was the art that was and is still revered to this days albeit siting begind glass in foreign museums after they were squandered during invasion of our motherland.
I loved the roam of my mind as I marvelled at the kingdoms that stretched through the continent, the west, the south to south east, the east, kush and Egyptian rule. We are a continent so filled with everything we need to take back what was stolen from us, and will with the knowledge at the helm. I can't wait to delve into the rest of the books and walk back into an history not so distant but yet so gar from our minds.

[Racquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Save for the disjointed flow of information, I enjoyed this book and found many parts interesting and some even surprising. I found myself looking up some of the artwork and monuments mentioned throughout the book. I also liked the listing and brief descriptions of other books in the author’s collection at the end. I’ve added several to my TBR list.

[Elliott Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible service done to compact complex African history into such an accessible format. I'm currently travelling Egypt and this series has been a great way of brushing up before my next location

[Antwine Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent material

Amazing read and excellent source material. Definitely recommend it to anyone else wanting to learn more about our ancestors contributions to history.

[Fil Garrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scholars estimate the population of Egypt during this time as 8 million people. Since only the Nile area is habitable, the total area available for habitation was about the size of Belgium. This would make Egypt as urbanised THEN as modern European civilisations are TODAY.

One of the tiny little books I decided to read up on for lack of other easily accessible literature about pre-colonial Africa for a story I'm working on. There isn't a whole lot of literature on the subject, and this was the best primer I could find. Like the one about World War I spies, this barely glimpses the surface of the information I actually want to get into - but it does provide a pretty decent primer. It's a kind of pamphlet about some very very basic facts that people might not be aware of regarding African history.

Mostly, I'm looking for something to inform my story regarding temples, cultures, and ancient ruins, and this book gives tantalizing hints of all of those things. African culture and history is pretty amazing, and I'd love to get information on it that would rival the amount of information on, say, the Egyptian civilization. More about the Congo, West African culture, East African culture - as a setting.

There are quite a few interesting facts in this work, somethings I was excited to see - comparisons of ancient African populations to current populations, medieval works and smithing practices, things like that. Exactly what I'm looking for. Unfortunately, it's not nearly enough to be satisfying, and I'll be searching out more and more for my work.

As it is, this is definitely a pretty good start. The work does exactly as advertised, giving people a start on Early African history. A great introduction, although ultimately malnourished and needing more.

[John Mallett · Rating 5 out of 5]

a giant step in knowing who i am

This is a great work of history and should be in every school, especially every school of color. When you do not know who you are or what you came from then its hard to know where you are going; read this book for direction.

[Kyle Dacres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Stunning easy to digest body of work. The information given is just enough and leaves you with a want to relearn your history.