Africa: A Biography of the Continent

_Africa: A Biography of the Continent_ by John Reader is a very well-named book, a through and engaging look at the epic story of this land, from its geological origins to its most recent political struggles. Though a thick book at 682 pages (plus appendices, endnotes, and bibliography), it is a wonderful read. The introductory section laments that Africa has been "woefully misunderstood and misused by the rest of the world," and that humanity does not properly "recognize its debts and obligations to Africa." A question the author asks, and returns to again and again in the book, is why did the population of humans that left Africa 100,000 years ago grew at much faster rate, or conversely, what prevented the Africans from growing at a similar rate? Part one was four chapters detailing the geological and paleontological history of Africa, the author noting that the search for missing links is a tradition in African paleontology ("an icon...hunted with fervor bordering on the zealous"), whether the links between reptiles and mammals, lower and higher primates, or hominids and modern humans. Part two was fantastic, devoted to the origins of the hominids. Hominids he noted arose in an ecological diverse setting (there was no abrupt replacement of forest by savanna when they arose 7 million years ago) and that apes were preadapted for bipedalism (apes carry 60% of their weight on their hind legs, contrasting with 40% for most quadrupeds). Hominids may have evolved to become nomadic, to take advantage of an unexploited food resource, the natural deaths that occurred in the great east African game herds (research has shown that as much as 70% of all carcasses found in the region died from other than predation and are largely unexploited by the highly territorial carnivores). He also cited such researchers as Peter Wheeler, who concluded that "thermoregulation is at the root of all things human," that being bipedal gave hominids additional advantages (walking upright exposed less body surface to direct rays of the sun and allowed for more heat to be removed from the skin by convection by taking advantage of the cooling effects of being higher above ground) that allowed them to remain active in temperatures that would drive a quadruped to heat stroke. Part three looked at the origins of modern humans civilization, spending a good deal of time on the importance of language and the increasing evidence that sophisticated modern behavior did not arise first 30,000-40,000 years ago among humans that had left Africa for Eurasia, but instead had occurred in Africa some 35,000 years earlier than that, the author providing accounts of the manufacture of sophisticated tools and early attempts at agricultural practices. A fascinating chapter was devoted to the spread of the iron-using Bantu-speaking peoples, who in less than 3,000 years expanded from their homes in modern Nigeria and Cameroon to colonize virtually all of sub-Saharan Africa, "an event unmatched in world history." Part four was an immensely interesting section, detailing many interesting African civilizations, including the Aksum of Ethiopia (whose influences at its height extended into Arabia and developed Africa's only indigenous written script, Ge'ez) and Jenne-jeno (an urban civilization of the inland Niger delta in Mali that was not hierarchical and lacked centralized control yet was quite prosperous). The history of African agriculture is well-covered, noting the importance of bananas and plantains to the diet, the differing practices of raising cattle for milk versus beef (surprisingly interesting), and the fact that elephants were a real impediment to African agricultural development until comparatively recent times. Slavery is also covered, as the author stated that between 30-60% of all Africans were slaves during historic times, far exceeding the number taken from the continent by the slave trade, these being slaves used within Africa. Part five examined early European exploration of Africa and the origins of the Atlantic slave trade and also delved into many aspects of African political and economic development, noting how various factors, such as unpredictable climate, disease, problems of food production, the need to maintain voluntary and cooperative trade links, and the age-set system of rule mitigated against the development of powerful, densely-settled African states (and the disadvantage this would put the Africans at when facing Europeans). Reader also spent a good deal of time noting just how profoundly four centuries of slave-trading "seized the entire social and cultural ethos" of Africa, leading to destruction of some peoples, the creation of others, and the commercialization of African economies (sadly, even after the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade indigenous slavery not only continued to exist but actually expanded). Part six largely dealt with the history of South Africa. Surprisingly, the Zulu state owes is existence less to the rise of Shaka than popularly thought, as it was "squeezed into being" between spreading white settlers in the west and the disruptive activities of slave traders to the east. Early established labor practices for African workers in the Kimberly diamond fields and Witwaterstrand gold mines would have profound implications and influence on Africa, firmly establishing Africans not as true employees but something to be exploited. Part seven looked at the European scramble for Africa, the horror of King Leopold's Congo and its "carnival of massacre," some of the political legacies of European colonies (177 different ethnic groups according to one study are divided by European-established national boundaries), why Africans accepted the "the thin white line" that was colonial administration, and the profound impacts of the rinderpest plague, which killed a staggering 90-95% of all cattle in Africa between 1889 and the early 1900s, leading to a disruption in agricultural practices and the return of the tsetse fly to large swaths of land (many famous game parks such as the Serengeti exist today largely thanks to this plague). Part eight examined the genocide in Rwanda and Burundi, the causes of Africa's frequent coups, and why prosperous, stable democracies are virtually unheard of in sub-Saharan Africa (the author examined the "Botswana exception").

This book is exactly what I’ve been looking for: a comprehensive, in-depth discussion of all things Africa. The book is so diverse in scope that the first half taught me eye-opening things about geology, anthropology, scientific methods, agriculture, language, iron smelting, evolution, and more. It really is a fascinating read. Another reviewer mentioned that this isn’t a “curl up and read all night” kind of book and I agree. The writing style is clear and readable, but the amount of information in just a single short chapter is so dense that it takes me one or two days to digest it and consider it. I read 2-3 chapters a week, usually. I am not quite finished with the book but it’s probably the best non-fiction book I’ve ever read, and I recommend it to anyone with a curious mind.

The book is obviously, and necessarily, very long, but hugely informative and very, very well written. I cannot imagine the work that went into the writing, from first steps to publication. But the reading goes very easily, and it's a page-turner. For anybody with any interest at all in Africa, this is a must-read book. Take the plunge!

Africa is a huge continent with diverse geography and peoples, so any effort to encompass the entire history of the continent in one volume will, by necessity, either omit or minimize some aspects of that history. For example, much of the history of Africa north of the Sahara is missing, as is the impact of Islam on the continent and the slave trade. Note that the book ends in 1999, thereby giving only a brief summary of the effect Nelson Mandela had on South Africa or more recent political developments. To be fair, each chapter in this well written book could have developed into a book of its own if everything known was to be included. So, accept that this book, despite its length, is merely a summary and guideline of Africa’s history. Nonetheless, it is a valuable read for anyone wishing to embark on exploring Africa’s vast geography and history. Recently returned from a long trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe, I wanted to delve more into Africa’s history in order to better understand what I had seen and learned from numerous personal interviews with white and black, old and young citizens of those two countries. I was specifically interested in how slavery developed, how a small colonial population both exploited and controlled a larger indigenous population, how racial separation came to be the norm, and why numerous post-colonial African nation governments failed miserably. Fortunately, these are the book’s strongest areas. Now I have a framework for future detailed reading. Most readers will find that many of their pre-conceived notions about African “tribes,” non-European African history, and African nation states will be wrong, as much of what Westerners have learned is framed by a European outlook and tradition. This book illuminates and details these and other subjects from a relatively un-biased historical perspective. [Yes, some will quibble over a few statements by the author, but that’s to be expected of any book of this sweeping nature.] It would have been helpful if some maps were included in the book to assist in defining various geographic areas with changing borders and names. These could have been placed at the beginning of many of the chapters to refresh the reader on locations. Overall, however, I am glad I read this book.

This is one the most informative books ever written about Africa. John Reader goes back to the beginning, uncovering why once homo sapiens left Africa they seemed to increase in population by much greater numbers than in their home continent. Part of it is the fact that, believe it or not, there was a much greater supply of nutritious foodstuffs in Asia and Europe than in Africa, were they were generally limited to millet. The author does hint at it, but having read much about the early big game bunters in many parts of Africa, I learned the large number of species of very large or dangerous animals on the continent contributed greatly to the low level of human populations. Whole tribes were forced to depart their homelands because of the depredations of herds of elephant, rhino, and buffalo, as they did not have the weapons to deal with them. Same with outbreaks of man eating by lions, leopards and hyenas,. In addition, although slavery did come to exist on all continents, Africa was the true home of the salve system, dating back to a period before the European ever existed. In fact today, other than Yemen and possibly Saudi Arabia, Africa is today' still the true home of slavery. This, despite the efforts of Nineteenth Century Europeans, particularly the British, to eliminate it. Other interesting facts. The famous Zulu Tribe was simply an amalgamation of peoples who were stirred into action by the sudden revival of the slave trade in the late 18th Century near today's Maputo, by Portuguese and French slavers making raids on them in order to satisfy their plantation needs in Mozambique and Madagascar. Because the people of the various tribes were more robust than their neighbors to the south and because of their experiences against the Europeans they developed better weapons and tactics and applied them with fantastic success against the native Africans to the south. There was no Zulu Tribe per se. These bits of information are only the beginning. If you must, call your place of employment, and claim you are seriously ill. The following week at home in an easy chair or in bed will help you understand more what life is all about than just another week with your boss and his cohorts.

One of more amazing books I have read. It addresses: Geology, Paleontology, Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, Economics, War, Agriculture, and many other fields. All with some emphasis on Africa, but all with a relationship to humanity and the World at large. It is now more than 20 years old in volatile continent, but still fascinating. It shows a significant amount of research and understanding of many areas. One of the themes is that Africa should be of interest to all of mankind. It is where man evolved and human characteristics were first developed. It has had significant interaction with most of Earth's other Continents. It can provide lessons on many aspects of the World and mankind. My only complaints are mostly functional. It is long (700 pages), small print, and entirely inadequate visual elements (maps, pictures, etc.). I would love to have a kindle version.

Well written, but not very many pictures or maps to describe the areas.

This is a fascinating, detailed and perceptive history of Africa, a massive topic covered in such a way as the reader is not only informed, but also made to feel part of the whole process of evolution and development. The themes ar personal, national, political and social, and, considering the violent and unhappy aspects of much of the past two centuries, extremely even handed. There is so much to criticise today about Africa, cruelty, corruption, exploitation, that it is important to understand how today's Africa reached the state it is now in. Equally, while being critical of the West's part in causing many of today's problems, it is also critical to examine this in the context in which the events and actions of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries occurred. This is an excellent history book, textbook and general reader, and never either boring or over contentious without good reasaon.

Muy buena información

A pleasant surprise is my impression of this book. It explores the history of Sub-saharan Africa in immense detail and I have learned much more about the continent in spite of previously reading another history book on the same topic. The first 200 pages cover the geological and anthropological history of Africa so it might not be interesting to most people. Personally however, I found it rather interesting as it tied in nicely with the rest of the book later on. Additionally, the book's scope and detail might seem dry or excessive to casual history readers but if you push through wih your reading it will be rewarding. One strange feature of this book is that it provides little info on the creation of the Boer Republics, but includes a whole chapter on the life of Lubosi Lewanika. Finally, please note that this book covers very little of Northern Africa and focuses entirely on sub-saharan Africa and it ends at 1994 just after the fall of the Apartheid so there will be no information on the last two decades. Highly recommended!

A lot was unknown to me about Africa before reading this book. The author has described the birth and the life of humanity in great detail originating in Africa and then spreading out to the various parts of the continent. It has been brilliantly written and is the 'go- to' book for anyone interested in knowing about Africa.

John Reader’s book of Africa: A Biography of the Continent is a tour de force, which won the Alan Paton Award in 1998 (a South African non-fiction literary award). This is history over the long-term and over a broad canvas. However, given its length of 677 pages (excluding maps, detailed references and index) the canvas presents a rich story of how that history unfolded over time and place. The author undertakes an ambitious task by exploring various facets of that history and their interplay with one another. The components include the backdrop of the geography of the continent whose sheer size permits it to cover a wide range of climatic conditions, ranging from Mediterranean type climates in the far north and south, through sub-tropical and tropical. The earlier parts of the book establish this landscape and its ramifications for human development since the emergence of homo sapiens through to modern times. Deliberately, the author restricts the range of the geography and book to sub-Sahara Africa, since this is the part of the continent that shares a common experience with its interactions to the outside world, especially Europe and the Arabic world. The book will be of interest to anyone wanting to gain a reasonable overview of how the broad history of the bulk of Africa evolved over time, both in terms of its environment and its human social history. It is a story that reveals some deeply flawed myths held in the Western psyche about this great continent and its varied peoples. In particular, it holds up a mirror to European history from the time of the search for a passage to the Indies, whose subsequent 500 years opened the continent (albeit it slowly at first) to the ambitions and desires of external forces from Europe and the Arabic worlds. If you want to gain a better feel for how and why the modern map of sub-Saharan Africa looks the way it does today, then you need to read a book like this to appreciate the forces which shaped today’s map. It is a long read, but unless you are already familiar with the subject, you are likely to emerge much better informed and curious to learn more about this great continent and its varied history. It will be worth the journey.

El libro es muy bueno, pero no sbia que era de segunda mano.