A Concise History of Africa

Gr 9 Up—Dated in interpretation and content. History opens with the 19th-century European colonial division of Africa, followed by a review of its history from the earliest humans to the present, with an emphasis on the continent's transition to independence. The remaining titles have alphabetically arranged, encyclopedialike summaries about each nation, focusing on its early peoples and colonial and postcolonial experience. Contemporary conditions are summed up in a few sentences, and some don't reflect current reality, such as the statement that Angola's "present economy" is supported by "record oil prices" in South Africa. In addition, cringeworthy sentences like "Light was shed on the Dark Continent by the great explorers of the 18th–19th centuries" make appearances. Each chapter provides a detailed country map and the many large stock photos are attractive but limit content.