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josiahrichardson's review against another edition
2.0
Very dry writing. This is a subject in which I knew so little, I was over my head. After finishing the book, I feel like I know even less.
outcolder's review against another edition
5.0
It's not an introduction to Africa's past, it's an introduction to the big questions around researching African History. I loved it.
wescovington's review against another edition
3.0
This is much more a book about historiography rather than history. It is not a distillation of a big topic into 151 pages, but rather a discussion of how Africans have recorded and studied history.
adamrshields's review against another edition
2.0
Book Review: African History: A Very Short Introduction by John Parker and Richard Rathbone - not much history in the book. The focus is on the academic study of African history, not the actual history of Africa. If I were interested in the academic study of Africa, then this is a good book. This is a fairly common problem in the Very Short Introduction series from the volumes I have read. The Very Short Introduction to the bible did the same thing. It talked about the study of the bible, not the content of the bible.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/african-history/
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/african-history/
michareads's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.25
A brief introduction into the complex and multifaceted discipline of African history. This is a book about historiography!
siria's review against another edition
4.0
This is less an introduction to the history of Africa than it is to the continent's historiography. Parker does give a brief overview of major historical developments, but he mostly focuses on changing perceptions of Africa and its people. It's quite a concentrated, dense read, but I think a rewarding and an interesting one.
miocyon's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting little book, if not quite what I was expecting/wanting. This is not a blow-by-blow, full of dates and personages history book. It's more a book about the history of Africa as an object for study. There are a few specific stories in it, but mostly it's about how the concept of Africa has changed over the years, both for the people in and outside of the continent. I certainly learned something even if it wasn't what I wanted to.