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27 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Reading, February 7, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Black Spark, White Fire: Did African Explorers Civilize Ancient Europe? (Hardcover)
This book was interesting reading but the concepts in it are, as you can see by the reviews, quite controversial. I read the book with an open mind since I was going to Egypt to work, but I found myself challenged because it is not what I was taught in either high school or college. However, after living in Egypt for about a year and having visited the museum on several occasions in addition to visiting Upper Egypt (Nubia). I do not find the concepts as challenging as before. Some observations: My brown-skinned Egyptian friends do not like to readily recognize any African blood. But the connection is obvious-curly hair to tight hair, thick lips, wide noses, colorful skin, etc. Further, the Nubians who are clearly black, by any standard, are Egyptians and interact and intermarry with lighter Egyptians quite freely. This is obvious once you are here. It is not clear if there is any discrimination. I have not met an Egyptian yet who would admit to being superior based upon his or her lighter skin color than the Nubian Egyptians but most of the present day elite have lighter skin tones. Egypt has always had an African connection (it is in Africa). Egypt became Egypt when the king of Nubia conquered the kingdom in the Delta. Any Egyptian will tell you this. What makes this book controversial is not the varied skin color of the Egyptians but that the early Greeks wrote that they got their knowledge from blacks in Egypt. This means that the basis of western civilization is African and not European. The important thing to consider is, regardless of the skin color of the ancient Egyptians, is that their culture was African. It became Arab around the time of the spread of Islam. Modern-day Egyptians know that the Nubians are black, know that they have been around forever, and know that many of them have relatives from Nubia but they do not necessarily see the connection with Africa. This is even more interesting when you consider that the Sudanese Arabs, who are very black, also think along similar lines (they are Arab not African). My view is that there is no racial definition of an Arab. They are generally white in Syria, while they are generally black in the Sudan. Most are in-between. This reminds my of my Colombian roommate in college whose father was white/mestizo and whose mother was black/mestizo. He was born looking like his father so he was white/mestizo but his sister who was born looking like his mother was black/mestizo. To my mind, he was black. In fact, he constantly emphasized that he was not. Hispanics, also, cannot be racially defined. Even in the same country, like Puerto Rico, some are black and some are white. Their standard of what is white is if you have one drop of white blood then you are white. Much like the opposite U.S. standard of what is black. Different cultures have a different way of looking at things. I guess a lot depends on current and past events that have affected the culture. The book will make you think about your preconceptions of basic history and culture. This is a worthy challenge.
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23 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
In Search of Senwosret, May 4, 2000
This review is from: Black Spark, White Fire: Did African Explorers Civilize Ancient Europe? (Hardcover)
I found Richard Poe's book extremely interesting. Having been aware of the Afrocentrism controversy for a few years, and (despite studying extremely modern, Asian history) having always had a sneaking fascination with ancient history, I eagerly anticipated the new information and arguments that I would find, and I was not disappointed. I was delighted to find that the writer was not only of European and Latino descent (proving that some people aren't threatened by challenges to historical orthodoxy) but that he was most known for writing books on MARKETING (WAVE 3, WAVE 4, and so on)! That's interdisciplinary research at its weirdest, but I'm certainly not complaining. I worked in a bookstore for almost two years, and seeing BLACK SPARK, WHITE FIRE, on the shelf and then going to the marketing section and seeing his WAVE books there blew my mind. That being said, this is not the work of a dilettante. He lays out his arguments carefully and with impressive work in extremely primary sources. I've read some shocking reviews on this page and I'd just like to say, why is everybody so threatened by the fact that the origins of European civilization might not have been what we thought? The result is still there, with all its virtues and vices. You certainly don't have to subscribe to Afrocentrism (as I don't) to admit that there may have been considerable African influence on the development of European culture (vice versa has, of course, been readily admitted throughout the centuries--why shouldn't it be a two-way street?). Works like Poe's (even if I don't buy all his arguments) keep the field of ancient history fresh and alive and constantly remind us that we usually don't get the whole truth, especially when events are thousands of years gone.
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25 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
well researched and very impartial, December 4, 2000
The book predominantly deals with mainly the role (in European civilization) and identity of ancient Egypt (Kemet). Few points to make: 1. The book does challenge a lot of conventions in history. I do not have a problem with conventions, as long as they can stand the test of logic and evidence. The book, shows that many of the conventions in history - did Egyptians civilize Europe, who were the Egyptians, etc - are based on (very) shacky grounds. As with most challenges to conventions, people are VERY resistant and quick to dismiss them as "nonsense", while all that is need is an open mind approach. 2. It seems so very easy to counter many of the Egyptologists views, conventions and version of history. The book adduces a LOT of evidence in the form of ancient testimonies, aercheology, laborotary research, etc, to analyse BOTH sides of the arguments. Unfortunately and Fortunately, most of the evidence tends to lean on the favour of Afrocentrics and the reason why it is so, according to the book, is because of racial attitudes, scholarly partriotism and double standards infliltrating scholarly work. 3. The book, although classified as history, has most of the elements of a thriller. It suspends the reader becasue of its approach towards the issues (does not give answers from the onset and easy ones), which makes it one of the best readings I have had so far. 4. In all fairness, it is likely tol offend many people, especially those who may believe in racial superiority, now and since (against other races and within themselves as a race: eg the "true Aryan" attitude), yet it will also be most informative to many people out there seeking part reasons for the evolution of racism - it is not only about the identity of Egypt and their role in civilizing Europe). The book does call a spade-a-spade and supports this with hard and very difficult evidence to refute! 5. Some points, like the connection between Knights Templars, Freemansory and Egypt, have long been made by other writers (Hiram Key), while many points are fascinating. 6. The book left me with a better understanding of ancient Egypt, its role, and identity, simply because it is NOT written by a person of particular inclinations and stereotypes, but a neutral person! it is WELL WRITTEN. Pitty many people will give it a one star becasue it is written in the era of dominant Afrocentric writing and may reveal things some people wouldn't like to be discussed in the "open". Do not judge it by the number of stars, but by its content and arguments.
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