In a trawl through the entire sweep of sub-Saharan history, the authors have written an accessible introduction for students and general readers. The opening chapter on geography and climate frames the discussion, demonstrating how the environment has shaped the societies and cultures of those living in the region. Thereafter they describe the rise of states and empires in the classical period, the slave trade within Africa and beyond to the Americas, and the European conquest. The concluding section focuses on Africa in the twentieth century as it gains independence and searches for a new identity beyond colonialism. While the authors mull over the debates which have shaped the study of African history, at the center of this story are the tragedies, triumphs and the resilience of the African people. The book is illustrated with photographs, maps, and sidebars which feature the salient points on either side of the debates.

Product Description: Images of the genocide in Darfur have shocked the Western world: Upwards of 300,000 of its inhabitants have died, and another 2.5 million have become refugees. Those affected by the violence are estimated at almost 4 million, 700,000 of whom are now beyond the reach of humanitarian assistance...read more

Product Description: In a completely revised version of his "Problems" book (originally published in 1970), Professor Collins presents the most important issues in the study of colonial Africa such as: The Partition of Africa;Collaboration or Resistance to European Rule in Africa; Colonial Rule in Africa; Educating the African; Forging a National Identity; and, Exploitation or Development in Africa...read more

Giving to charity is incumbent upon every Muslim. Throughout history, Muslims have donated to the poor and to charitable endowments set up for the purposes of promoting Islam through the construction of mosques, schools, and hospitals. In recent years, there has been a dramatic proliferation of Islamic charities, many of which were created in the declining decades of the 20th century by the infusion of oil money into the Muslim world. While most of these are legitimate, there is now considerable and worrying evidence to show that others have more questionable intentions, and that funds from such organizations have been diverted to support terrorist groups, such as al-Qaeda. The authors of this book examine the contention through a detailed investigation of the charities involved, their financial intermediaries, and the terrorist organizations themselves. What they discover is that money from these charities has funded conflicts across the world, from the early days in Afghanistan when the mujahideen (Muslim Warriors) fought the Soviets, to subsequent terrorist activities in Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Palestine, and, most recently, in Europe and the United States. This ground-breaking book is the first to piece together, from a vast array of sources, the secret and complex financial systems that support terror.

Product Description: A study of problems in African history during the pre-colonial era. The author guides the reader through a range of theories and interpretations concerning issues relating to: Africa and Egypt; Bantu origins and migration; African states and trade; Islam in Africa; women; and slavery...read more

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Product Description: The Heart of Darkness, this is the image that most in the West hold of pre-colonial Africa. Joseph Conrad's description of a continent lacking in civilization, commerce, and Christianity is familiar to many readers. Historians have been working to dispel this notion before since the institution of African independence after World War II...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

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Product Description: Africa’s Thirty Years’ War began in the early 1960s, when a civil war in Chad pitted the Muslim north and center against the political domination of African Christian politicians from southern Chad. During their insurgency, the Muslim revolutionaries found a safe haven in the Sudan, whose governments provided support hoping to overthrow the Tombalbaye government in Chad...read more

Product Description: This map of Africa shows the physical relief of the continent in colour and provides detailed coverage of towns and cities, roads and railways, mountain ranges, rivers and lakes.

Product Description: In the newest version of his "Problems" books, Professor Collins presents the most important issues in the study of modern Africa such as: Decolonization and the End of Empire; Democracy and the Nation-State; Epidemics in Africa: The Human and Financial Costs; Development: Failure or Success; The African Environment: Origins of a Crisis; and, Return of the Empires...read more