There has been a regretable tendancy in history, military history in particular, to obscure or omit altogether African accomplishments. Certainly, the nonliterate nature of precolonial African societies has not led to the generation of copious documentation from original African sources. Much of that history available to us is derived from observations by Europeans and Arabs, oral tellings which tend toward embellishment and whatever insight archeology reveals to us. World historians may attribute the paucity of African history in their works to a comparative lack of source material. Yet, in my reading of African history, it is clear that enough material has been compiled by scholars in this field to produce multi-volume books. Thus, the fallacy of Africa being a continent without a history is exposed, though not entirely put to rest. John K. Thornton's "Warfare in Atlantic Africa: 1500-1800" is the latest contribution to studies about Africa that aim to shed light on what many may still regard as the "Dark Continent." The book is not long (152 pages, excluding notes and index) but it is brimming with information stemming from detailed research about African warfare. Each chapter focuses on a region of Africa where the author analyzes terrain, political contexts, strategies, tactics, weaponry and military operations with a high degree of depth. Thornton reveals the diversity of precolonial African militaries and warfare and how environment dictated how wars were fought and armies organized. He shows how African militaries responded to the presence of Europeans and their introduction of gunpowder weapons. The facts he brings to bear in regard to these early African/European interactions indicate a more complex relationship than the simplistic summaries of historians with no access to the valuable data Thornton has dredged up. As elsewhere in the world, many African wars were conducted with vigor and ingenuity, with armies demonstrating abilities to respond accordingly to operational situations. In the 18th century, a combined African army constructed counterworks around a fortified town it was besieging with the intent of cutting off the town's supplies. This example of tactical dynamism as detailed in the book is very reminiccent of Ceasar's besiegement of Vercingetorix's stronghold. "Warfare in Atlantic Africa" abounds with such examples, each one underscoring the absolute nessecity of scholars to abandon whatever misconceptions may lurk in their minds about African history. This book is an intriguing and exciting read, presenting an early Africa far removed from the stereotyped monotonies of Hollywood.

This is a classic text which presents a study of the structural forms and cultural patterns of the Japanese living in rural areas from the late feudal period to the 1960's. Particular emphasis is placed on agriculture, family life, village life, and the governmental forms of hamlet versus village. The chapter on the unchanging mentality of the Japanese farmer is very enlightening, and can be easily compared to similar attitudes of farmers throughout the world. This is a highly recommended and unfortunately out of print book which should be read by any and all students of Japanese culture and history.

Mr. Trupin has deftly incorporated the history of West Africa, from ancient kingdoms to the modern states like Liberia. Though published two decades ago, the lessons learned by these stories still ring sort of true today.

The book focus on the encounter of West Africa with the diverse religious traditions that has shaped the sub-regional history. It traced the advent of Christianity into West Africa, beginning with the Portuguese and their desire to find the Kingdom of John Prester. This attempt led to the interactive history between the people of the area and various Western forms of Christianity, and eventually of colonialism. The author also expressed that prior to Christianity acculturation of elements of the traditional th African religious experience had occurred precipitated by contact with Islam. This book provides a wonderful insight into the early period of Christianity in West Africa, and articulates its pre-Christian heritage significantly. I enjoy the book and recommend it to those who want to have any meaningful resources to the happenings in Africa since the 15th Century. This book provides another view of the tripple heritage position as is forcefully articulated by Ali Mazrui and others.

A little bio: John Collins' British father was a professor at the University of Ghana, where John spent most of his youth and developed his interest in music. At some point John studied medicine (came in helpful the night he had to deliver his nephew), but gave it up to be a musician/recording engineer/and eventually professor of music and the University of Ghana (he also had a bit part in Fela's attempted movie, but that's another story). He still lives at Bokor House outside Accra, and still plays in a band.

Anyway, between being a working musician, a recording engineer, and an archivist, he met/interviewed/worked with virtually everybody who was anybody in West African popular music from early highlife bandleaders like E.T. Mensah to the late Fela Kuti.

The book consists largely of short chapters about individual performers, grouped roughly according to chronology and geography. From this organization, one gets a sense of thematic developments and forces in the musicians' lives, but much of the material is anecdotal, letting the performers speak for themselves. And what anecdotes they are. The chapter on Fela alone is worth the price of the book, though to hear John relate it, he didn't tell half of the story.

the three authors have found an excellent way of trying to put into writing an intense experience in professional drama in west-africa, an experience which is way beyond the western concepts. It communicates in a very lifely way their scholarly preoccupations mixed with their human insights.

Edward Geoffrey Parrinder studies the religious thought and practice of various West African peoples, especially of Ghana and Nigeria. Parrinder qualifies West African polytheism by noting the concept of a single principal deity. This spirit, however, is considered remote. This deity is not usually approached directly. Instead, prayers and offerings are directed to lesser though powerful spirits.

The ghosts of ancestors whose names are remembered are also venerated. Gifts of food, and other signs of respect, honor the place the recently-deceased continue to hold in the family and society.

The practices of fortunetellers and diviners are also discussed. The religious practices of various devotional centers, called houses of a god, feature the ritual death and rebirth of devotees. Throughout West Africa, spiritual vocation means becoming a new person. Scarification and learning a new language are often part of starting a new spiritual life.

The concepts and practices considered by Parrinder offer fascinating insights into West African theology. A good companion work would be Parrinder's excellent West African Psychology. Dominique Zahan's The Religion, Spirituality and Thought of Traditional Africa is also an excellent study. The perspectives are different; for example, Zahan mainly considers ethnic groups in French-speaking Africa, whereas Parrinder concentrates on English-speaking areas of West Africa.

Every once in a while, a book is published that siginificantly advances knowledge. Thus, it is with great pleasure that I state that Dr. Nemata Amelia Blyden's book is bound to be regarded as one of the greatest books on West Africa produced in this decade. This brilliant, synchronic, historical tour de force teaches us about the trans-oceanic migration of West Indians from the Caribbean to Sierra Leone in the decades after slavery was abolished in the British colonies in 1807. Employing both primary and secondary sources, Dr. Blyden in the eight chapters of this book chronicles how the West Indians who immigrated to Sierra Leone during this period came to occupy numerous positions in the colony and the colonial administration; how they became an important minority, albeit not always well-liked; and the impetus for their power and influence. More tantalizing is how Dr. Blyden skillfully weaves together the economic, political, psychological and social contexts of the time (1808-1880) to tell this fascinating history in an interpretive style. In essence, any student of history and the social sciences should get a copy of this book. It represents effulgent scholarship

In studying ethno-linguistic groups of Subsaharan Africa, most books fall into two types. First, there are indepth ethnographic studies, most of which are out-of-print. Secondly, there are books on specific ethnic groups which are readily available, most of which are children's books.

This book on the Wolof was written for young students. As a result, it is readable in style, comprehensive in scope, and rich in imagery. All of these qualities make this work not only helpful for its stated audience, but also informative for readers of most ages.

For a study of the Wolof, also consider David Gamble, The Wolof of Senegambia, Together With Notes on the Lebu and the Serer. For the extraordinary biography of a Wolof-American woman, Anna Kingsley, see the much-anticipated work by Daniel Schafer.

With Zomo the Rabbit : A Trickster Tale from Africa, Gerald McDermott demonstrates again why he is our favorite when it comes to children's books. The tale is clever. The illustrations are spectacular, as always. McDermott's books are the favorites of my 7-year old, who reads them over and over again. My 2-year old also loves them.