"Revealing the central yet intentionally obliterated role of Africa in the creation of modernity, Born in Blackness vitally reframes our understanding of world history. In a sweeping narrative that traverses 600 years, one that eloquently weaves precise historical detail with poignant personal reportage, Pulitzer Prize finalist Howard W. French retells the story of medieval and emerging Africa, demonstrating how the economic ascendancy of Europe,...

Discover the untold story of African surf culture in this glorious and colorful collection of profiles, essays, photographs, and illustrations. AFROSURF is the first book to capture and celebrate the surfing culture of Africa. This unprecedented collection is compiled by Mami Wata, a Cape Town surf company that fiercely believes in the power of African surf. Mami Wata brings together its co-founder Selema Masekela and some of Africa's finest photographers,...

"South Africa's history stretches back to the beginnings of human existence. This book provides an overview to South Africa's multiple millennia of history, covering its long and often troubled past to its current status in the 21st century"--

In 1652, a small group of Dutch farmers landed on the southernmost tip of Africa. Sent by the powerful Dutch India Company, their mission was simply to grow vegetables and supply ships rounding the cape. The colonists, however, were convinced by their strict Calvinist faith that they were among God's "elect," chosen to rule over the continent. Their bloody, ferocious, and fervent saga would culminate three centuries later in one of the greatest

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This book is a dynamic discussion of how Africa shapes world events today. Although Africa is often portrayed as a remove and impoverished area, remembered for the suffering of its people, it has played an important role in recent history and will continue to play a significant role in the future of America. Tukufu Zuberi weaves interview excerpts and stories from many Africans he has met-from refugees to heads of state-into a larger narrative that...

Notes from Africa traces the rise of popular music on the continent - beginning in the 1980s when the term 'world music' was coined as a marketing label and African musicians, notably Youssou N'Dour and his contemporaries, began to appear on the international stage. This book explains the musical styles that developed from the 1960s, when many African countries gained their independence. It covers developments in music and society in Senegal, in West...