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Africa: A Biography of the Continent (Paperback)

by John Reader (Author)

4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Product details

Paperback: 816 pages
Publisher: Penguin; New Ed edition (5 Nov 1998)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0140266755
ISBN-13: 978-0140266757
Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 3.6 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 88,929 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Drawing on many years of African experience, John Reader has written a book of startling grandeur and scope that recreates the great panorama of African history, from the primeval cataclysms that formed the continent to the political upheavals facing much of the continent today. Reader tells the extraordinary story of humankind's adaptation to the ferocious obstacles of forest, river and desert, and to the threat of debilitating parasites, bacteria and viruses unmatched elsewhere in the world. He also shows how the world's richest assortment of animals and plants has helped - or hindered - human progress in Africa.

About the Author

John Reader is a writer and photojournalist with more than forty years professional experience, much of it in Africa. Born in London in 1937, he currently holds an Honorary Research Fellowship in the Department of Anthropology at University CollegeLondon, and is a fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute and the Royal Geographical Society. He is the author of Pyramids of Life, Missing Links: The Hunt for Earliest Man; Kilimanjaro; The Rise of Life; Mount Kenya and Man on Earth.

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	61% buy the item featured on this page: Africa: A Biography of the Continent 4.4 out of 5 stars (11) �9.56
	18% buy The State of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence 4.6 out of 5 stars (41) �6.78
	11% buy Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles 4.8 out of 5 stars (14) �6.96
	6% buy The Shackled Continent: Africa's Past, Present and Future 3.8 out of 5 stars (18) �5.80

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant: a rivetting and educational read, 6 May 2001

By A Customer

I bought this book to please a friend of mine who recommended it. Knowing little about Africa and having little interest in the place, I had no expectations of enjoying the book. However, it turned out to be one of the most memorable books I have ever read and I would recommend it to anyone who has any care for or interest in mankind.

The book is brilliantly researched and could almost be described as an encyclopaedia in terms of the huge range of subjects that it covers. This is not just a history of the African continent, but a history of mankind from primeval times to the present, through various stages and periods of civilization. The book describes the exodus of early man from the African continent 100,000 years ago and the disastrous effects of his eventual return over the last 1000 years. Most poignant perhaps is Mr Reader's descriptions of slave trading, European colonization and later decolonization, and he argues strongly how these disastrous events are still responsible for ongoing suffering amongst the inhabitants of the continent.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in human history - and not least to anyone like myself who knew little about the subject before reading Mr Reader's wonderful book.

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece!, 21 Jan 2005

By	B. Russell - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For a very thick book I read this in a week and a half. Very well written and easy to read but researched in such a way to add serious credibility. The environmental, historical and anthropological detail that Reader employs is very effective. It helps banish to history the stereotypes and false impressions about Africa that have prevailed for centuries.

Some of the information about African languages, the migration from Africa to the rest of the world, the development of iron and the study on why the established western understanding of the development of civilisations and ancient cities just doesn't apply to Africa are really fascinating.

This should be read by everybody who has lived, travelled or worked in Africa. Brilliant Book.

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars History in Broad Strokes, 22 Sep 2003

By A Customer

They aren't kidding when they say 'Biography'! The book literally starts with the birth of the continents and ends with recent history. In between those two points the development of Africa is explained using geology, climate, evolutionary changes, and Western influences. It is clearly and interestingly written. If you want to know why the situation in Africa is what it is today this is an excellent one-stop resource. (If you want information about a specific country or area I wouldn't recommmend this book. Although it goes into a bit more detail on some subjects, it mainly consists of broad information.)

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because the author quotes quite a lot of statistics, which aren't always strictly necessary.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Africa: A Biography of the Continent
I just thought I'd provide the book's actual synopsis because I think it's more helpful than the product description up there ^

"The roots of our ancestry lie in... Read more

Published 6 months ago by C. L. Dixon

4.0 out of 5 stars Generally good but some surprising gaps
It starts awfully well, with sections on African geology in the context of continental drift, and on the evolution of humanity in the context of climate change. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Nicholas Whyte

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down
This is a well researched and credible book about the whole of the African continent which gives a broad picture on which details of modern African politics and events fit... Read more

Published on 29 May 2007 by Dr. S. A. Roughton

4.0 out of 5 stars A book for one who wants to know the detail of Africa
If you have lived or worked in Africa and you need to be confident of what you are talking about when you are in discussions about this amazing and beautiful continent - then you... Read more

Published on 25 Feb 2006

3.0 out of 5 stars Very imformative
Good book, but very very detailed and very hard to wade through. Still have not finished it over a year later. Will one day!

Published on 15 Feb 2004 by lukemv

4.0 out of 5 stars Superbly detailed, if slightly dry
I found this book rather heavy going, but that is partly because a lot of the more distant history stuff is of little interest to me. Read more

Published on 14 Oct 2002 by Overseas Reviewer

5.0 out of 5 stars An extremely well written book
I enjoyed the clear, flowing style, packed with facts that are well referenced. If you have an interest in geology, anthropology, history, politics, evolution, in fact... Read more

Published on 19 Jul 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars Covers the history of Africa in 600 pages.
This is an excellent book that covers the history of Africa in one book. Although most of it is probably at a rather superficial level this keeps the books progress over time... Read more

Published on 26 April 2001 by lgbowden

› See all 11 customer reviews...

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