Lost Cities of Africa [Paperback]

Basil Davidson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1959

Combining archeological evidence and scholarly research, Davidson traces the exciting development of the rich kingdoms of the lost cities of Africa, fifteen hundred years before European ships first came to African shores.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Basil Davidson is the most effective popularizer of African history and archaeology outside Africa and certainly the best trusted in Africa itself. - Roland Oliver in THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS Davidson is the often-overlooked fourth man in the group that includes his contemporaries and fellow historians, Christopher Hill, Eric Hobsbawm and E.P. Thompson (a close friend of Davidson for many years). These men's committed, left-wing approach to writing history opened up the stuffy, chauvinist world of British professional historians and reached a popular audience far beyond academia. But whereas the others wrote about the British or European past, Davidson studied Africa and put his political energies into the struggle for Third World liberation. - Michael Bygrave in THE GUARDIAN --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 366 pages
• Publisher: Back Bay Books; Revised edition (1959)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316174319
• ISBN-13: 978-0316174312
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 1 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #406,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sorely needed and with great promise, but lacking...., November 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Lost Cities of Africa (Paperback)

Davidson's contribution is masterfully presented and I came away with the impression that he is a leading authority. However, this book is lacking in two area. First, there is a stunning dearth of illustration, in a book that should be replete with maps of trade routes, city outlines, and illustrations of artifacts. The reader is left wondering where just where did all of these event happen? Second, the text is too obviously derived from lectures, in that it often repeats and reasserts points that the reader has likely accepted several chapters ago. This makes for dull reading. I have long awaited such a book, knowing that such a history had only to be revealed. Although I learned a great deal from this text, I was on the whole disappointed by the presentation because it detracts from what the book has to offer. A new edition could easily remedy these shortcomings.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lost Cities, April 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Lost Cities of Africa (Paperback)

An excellent source of information on ancient civilizations in Africa. Since so energy has been focused on Ancient Egypt, the civilizations across the rest of the continent have often gone unseen. Basil Davidson touches on many areas with the expertise of a scholar who is highly familiar with African culture and history.

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent resource for African history, November 24, 2011

By 

TSSP - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lost Cities of Africa (Paperback)

This is one of the best books I've read on African history. Basil Davidson covers many different regions of Sub-Saharan Africa in a manner that's easy to read and very humble. This is a highly recommended book for anyone wanting to learn more about African history.