Customer Reviews

African History for Beginners (A Writers and Readers Documentary Comic Book) (Pt.1)

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

 

 

This book is a rambling collection of various myths, occasionally interspersed with a few shallow facts. Even taken as a beginning-level history of Africa this does the subject a great disservice, repeating the myth that the Pharoanic Egyptians were "dark-skinned people" (they were, in fact, a semitic people) and that "ethnocentrism" (I think the author might have meant "eurocentrism") caused European scholars to deny Egypt's "African roots." Of the Ghanan, Mali and Zimbabwe cultures hardly anything is really discussed, doing a great injustice to these significant peoples. This book reads as if it were written in an afternoon.

The only thing worse than the scholarship of this book is the collection of illustrations, which appear to all be the product of a Kinko's photocopier. There MUST be better books on this subject. I believe Time-Life did a series of books on historical periods that included one on African Empires. I would read that one instead. It might take longer but I believe you might just learn something.

Contrary to another "review" (and I use the term very loosely) here, this is a perfectly charming little book with lovely illustrations, and I, personally, would recommend it!

Don't read it! Burn it! It sucks

Don't read it! Burn it! It sucks