Great African Reads discussion

Okay, at first I thought a chapter a week would work, and it would, but it's really a miniscule amount of reading, so I decided to make the chunks bigger and longer in the hopes of facilitating some good discussion.

January 1 through February 2

Part 1: The Founding Factors (pp. 9-44)
Building a Continent, Transitions, Missing Links, Origins and Climate

February 3 through March 8

Part 2: Humanity Emerging (pp. 45-98)
The Real World, Footsteps, The Cutting Edge, In the Mind's Eye, Cool Systems, Out of Africa

March 9 through May 4

Part 3: The African Options (pp. 99-192)
On Home Ground, Word of Mouth, Ancestral Economies, The Human Potential, Climate and Culture, The Beginnings of Agriculture, Renewable Resources, The Pastoral Scene, The Impact of Iron

May 5 through June 29

Part 4: African Civilization (pp. 193-324)
The Nile, The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, Aksum, Cities Without Citadels, Disease and Affliction, Successful Harvests, The Implications of Trade, Outposts and Inroads, Merrie Africa, Bananas and Cattle, Cattle and Gold

June 30 through August 17

Part 5: Foreign Influences (pp. 325-448)
"I Speak of Africa and Golden Joys," Portuguese Initiatives, In Search of Prester John, Harness to Europe, Nothing Else to Sell, The Atlantic Slave Trade, African Slave Traders, Africa Transformed, The Aftermath, The Climatic Context

August 18 through September 28

Part 6: Settlers (pp. 449-524)
Settlers, Black and White Frontiers, Zulu Myths and Reality, The Afrikaners, Diamonds and Gold

September 29 through November 2

Part 7: The Scramble (pp. 525-624)
An Imperial Ambition, An African King, Drawing the Line, Resistance, Rebellion, The Invention of Africa

November 3 through December 14

Part 8: The First Dance of Freedom (pp. 625-682)
The Emergent Elite, Spoils of War, First Dance of Freedom, Dreams and Nightmares

And this gives us a couple of weeks of wiggle-room. :)

I like this very much. I'm in a group called the Afro Book Club so this will really complement that. Plus, I'm doing the Challenge 50 - one book a week. So, I can try to squeeze everything in! But, are these books above all by African writers? I would really like to read African writers to hear about African countries from the horse's mouth.

Lol--this is just one book! It's very long. :)

The author is British but has spent a lot of time in Africa. I know Beverly has already read this and read other books alongside it, which I'm also hoping to do, and surely we will have books by African authors to complement this...

I'm not sure what I can participate in this year, but this is definitely appealing.

Also, both here at GR and at Amazon, the book (if it is the same one, --by J Reader?) is substantially longer than what is shown above, coming in at over 800 pages.

Marieke wrote: "Lol--this is just one book! It's very long. :)

The author is British but has spent a lot of time in Africa. I know Beverly has already read this and read other books alongside it, which I'm also h..."

Oh, I thought this was the challenge title you made for a bunch of books you put together! That would be a little more realistic. How could anyone write a biography of Africa? Are there biographies of Europe, Asia, or other places? Sounds pretty ambitious. Africa has 54 countries, tens of thousands of languages/ethnicities, and you can fit 4 United States in Africa and still be left with room. We all know that living some place, even for decades, doesn't mean you've even learned the language of the locale. I hope this won't be another Jared Diamond book of speculative, poorly substantiated craziness. : /

@Raven

I'm also disinclined to trust a single monolithic 'biography', especially written by a White British man! If I knew a lot about Africa already I might be able to read from an informed critical perspective, but as I'm a beginner I'm likely to believe everything I read... so don't feel ready to read this yet

Zanna wrote: "@Raven

I'm also disinclined to trust a single monolithic 'biography', especially written by a White British man! If I knew a lot about Africa already I might be able to read from an informed criti..."

I feel not ready as well and I know a few things. I would like to be able to come to it with a more critical eye, too.

I haven't yet taken a look at the book but will do so in a few days from now.

I've heard good things about this book, but that doesn't mean they will bear out. Skepticism is always good and always welcome here and would make for good discussion, I think. :)

I understand the distrust of a white man writing about Africa, but not all white men run around with colonial attitudes, just something to keep in mind.

Sue, the 800 pages could be either a different edition with larger print or all the end material--notes, appendices, bibliography etc.

The chapter titles should give you guys a sense of the scope. I really think he is just trying for a broad overview of how Africa came to be the way it is today, starting with geological elements. I don't think anyone can write something that is both broad and narrowly inclusive of every single people that has ever lived on the continent. It would just be impossible. Or millions of volumes lol.

I hope there is something about the old African empires like Songay and Mali, etc. Or, the pyramids in Zimbabwe.

Raven, I totally understand the caution. I'm looking for some reviews and criticism to help us either decide whether or not to read (I mean, I will be reading it) or what questions we want to have in our minds as we dig in. I'm certainly not trying to suggest that this is The Book to read about Africa. It will likely have faults and probably fail to be satisfying for some. Im a weirdo and like to read almost everything I can get my hands on, and this is one I've had staring at me for quite a long time. It's a shame really, because I think it might seem a little dated now given how many years have passed since it was published. But the scope is sweeping, so that might not matter too much.

I found this New York Times review from 1998 so far, and for me the most disappointing thing will likely be his neglect of North Africa. But he certainly isn't the first to divide Africa like that and neglect one for the other.

Here is the review: http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/06/21...

Oh--my book ends on page 801 (with the index).

Thanks Marieke. It must be the same book but I don't have it here so I didn't know about all those pages that wouldn't be included in the schedule.

Sue wrote: "Thanks Marieke. It must be the same book but I don't have it here so I didn't know about all those pages that wouldn't be included in the schedule."

sometimes different editions really are drastically different, but i agree, i think it is the same one.

i included the page numbers in the schedule to help people see the extent of the reading for each section. i don't think it's too much at a time. i might change my mind later, though! lol

Raven, Zanna, and others who may not feel prepared just yet to take on a book like this (which surely has pluses and minuses), we always keep threads open, so you can come back here to reinvigorate discussion later, even years down the line, assuming goodreads still exists. :)

Marieke wrote: "Lol--this is just one book! It's very long. :)

The author is British but has spent a lot of time in Africa. I know Beverly has already read this and read other books alongside it, which I'm also h..."

Marieke -

I may have misspoke as the book I read was The Fate of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence by Martin Meredith. Another 700+ page which provided the necessary background material for me to better understand colonalism and the fight for independence as it looks at Africa starting in 1955 and brings it up to Africa 2005.

I also have/had Africa: a Biography by Reader and started reading (several times) but did not finish, as I found the material "dry". This book looks at Africa from an archaelogical/anthropological pov which I was not looking for.

oh! okay...the Meredith book is another book i've wanted to read, and there is one from someone whose last name is July...i must scratch my head. the Meredith book is definitely more history/political science than this book by John Reader, would you agree?

I like natural history, so i'm actually kind of excited about the aspect of it that you found too dry.

Perhaps we can consider Meredith or July for next year's Big Read, if we decide this project is worthwhile. :)

Oh, here is the book i mentioned above: A History of the African People. Supposedly this book takes more of an African perspective, rather than the more usual Western view. At least this is how a former professor who recommended it to me described it.

Marieke wrote: "oh! okay...the Meredith book is another book i've wanted to read, and there is one from someone whose last name is July...i must scratch my head. the Meredith book is definitely more history/politi..."

Yes, the Meredith book is much more a history book than the Reader book.

And yes, the Reader book looks at the land formation, ecological formations, fossils, etc at least for the first several hundred pages. I am much more interested in cultural and social anthropology side of civilizations than the archaeological side.

Beverly wrote: "And yes, the Reader book looks at the land formation, ecological formations, fossils, etc at least for the first several hundred pages. I am much more interested in cultural and social anthropology side of civilizations than the archaeological side.
"

I can certainly understand that.

I changed the title of the thread to reflect the presence of background material. I'm trying to find reviews and criticism of the Reader book. I have gotten the sense that his book is quite unusual so i thought it would be helpful to try to understand what his intent was and how other readers responded to it.

Here is one from Publisher's Weekly

This looks interesting :) I will buy it for Kindle in the new year because I'm already over budget for this year *lol*

Christine wrote: "This looks interesting :) I will buy it for Kindle in the new year because I'm already over budget for this year *lol*"

oh boy! :)

i picked my copy up in a used bookstore awhile ago. i was pretty happy with the price. and it was in great condition!

Marieke wrote: "I changed the title of the thread to reflect the presence of background material. I'm trying to find reviews and criticism of the Reader book. I have gotten the sense that his book is quite unusual..."

Here is another one from Kirkus reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...

Also keep in mind that this book was published (and reviewed) in the late 1990s.

I don't think an outsider view is entirely inappropriate. If the author were African in some way that would come with its own bias (for instance I read Unbowed which was heavily criticized by only portraying one facet of Kenya.) Everything does, important to acknowledge but also perhaps to escape.This sounds like an overview that might take us in any number of directions in our reading and discussion. I'm open to starting with it and later reading some of these others for balance in perspectives.

Thanks! This looks as a very interesting book. I will buy and read. And I think one year for reading this book will my time resources...

Jens wrote: "Thanks! This looks as a very interesting book. I will buy and read. And I think one year for reading this book will my time resources..."

Pleased to have you with us for this project! i definitely need a year... and a schedule. :)

Jenny wrote: "I don't think an outsider view is entirely inappropriate. If the author were African in some way that would come with its own bias (for instance I read Unbowed which was heavily criti..."

This is essentially how I look at it too, Jenny. We will all discuss later, but I think it might make sense to tackle July's book after this one, then Meredith's, which focuses on the post-colonial period.

Cool, nearly missed that. I've already read this awesome book in the past year and keen to join upcoming discussions :-)

Christian wrote: "Cool, nearly missed that. I've already read this awesome book in the past year and keen to join upcoming discussions :-)"

Great to hear, Christian!

Here is a review of the book from The Economist:

http://www.economist.com/node/113256

"... his account combines the best of academic research with a sense of Africa which is vivid and understandable—an Africa to which all mankind is related."

I also found two other reviews, accessible through a university library's database:

"The author is at his best in the first 200 pages. He has previously written on the origins of man and his laying out of the physical history of Africa, the domain of all of our ancestors, is exciting, most engagingly and accessibly written." -- History Today. Mar98, Vol. 48 Issue 3, p53. 2p.

"His emphasis is on processes of change through time: he employs specifics selectively, using case histories that best illustrate his point. He is a vivid and evocative writer and the review is highly interesting and readable. The volume is a powerful introduction to Africa for the layman." --African Archaeological Review, Vol. 16, No. 2, 1999, pp. 137-142

This is the strongest criticism from the archaeology journal:

"Reader gives a brave attempt to reiterate the common humanity of all peoples. Yet his message would have been more powerful had the African and Diasporic voices been heard more often. In fact, he relies heavily on the work of British scholars, and a tally of the bibliography reveals only 32 (many being works of statesmen) citations of African scholars, of more than 900. In a book about Africa, we could not help noticing that there is no mention of Ali Mazrui's The Africans (1986). To discuss the invention of Africa and fail to mention Valentine Mudimbe's acclaimed The Invention of Africa (1988) is, to say the least, a matter of grave concern to these reviewers. Absent from the list are contributions by senior African scholars such as S. Amin, P. Hountonji, B. A. Ogot, G. Mokhtar, D. T. Niane, A. H. Sherif, N. J. Van der Merwe, and A. H. Zayed. The exclusion of works by senior Africanist archaeologists such as Pierre de Maret, Peter Schmidt, and Nicholas David, and the inclusion of only one African archaeologist, Fekri Hassan, display the author's partiality to British-based scholars. ... Despite its weaknesses, this well-written book will interest and inspire students."

--African Archaeological Review, Vol. 16, No. 2, 1999, pp. 137-142

This probably gives us a good idea of what is missing in Reader's book. Throughout the detailed review in this journal, the most common compliant is that Reader left out certain archaeological evidence and photos of artifacts unearthed in archaeological digs.

In the History Today review, the main complaints were that Reader did not go into detail about political events and World War II in Africa.

Thanks Mindy!

Thanks for the reviews Mindy! I wait with excitement that Amazon will deliver the book....

Mindy wrote: "This is the strongest criticism from the archaeology journal:

"Reader gives a brave attempt to reiterate the common humanity of all peoples. Yet his message would have been more powerful had the ..."

Yes, thanks from me as well, Mindy. I think it's really helpful to get a sense of a book like this before delving in: what was the author trying to do? what should we expect to get out of it? what shortcomings should we anticipate? etc... :)

@Marieke Yes, especially for a history, it's best to get an idea of the approach it takes before you start reading. I also like to learn a lot about the background of the writer before I start. It's going to be a big investment of my time, so I want to make sure it's going to be valuable.

Thanks to those who have already posted reviews of the book, very interesting... I'm keeping an open mind and I think this is a formidable idea for 2014! :)

I don't think it actually matters too much whether you "know" a lot about Africa or not, as long as you keep an open mind and don't assume Reader has got the "whole truth". There are always different perspectives on everything, so this is probably just one of them (though admiteddly, it's an interesting title, which can probably be interpreted in a range of ways...).

My book has arrived!!!! Hoping to make a start this weekend, my gosh is it big and fat! And the font is soooo small... *scarred*

Muphyn wrote: "My book has arrived!!!! Hoping to make a start this weekend, my gosh is it big and fat! And the font is soooo small... *scarred*"

LOL - Yes definitely a door stopper :)

I am ashamed to admit that I checked the book out from the library and then promptly returned it -- my reading focus has taken an unexpected turn, and I don't think I'll have the time to commit to the big read. Buuut at least I'm learning from people's comments here :)

Haha, that's fine, Liralen! :) You might find interest in it later in the year again... who knows. :)

Steve wrote: "I have read the first two sections and it is totally fascinating."

Wonderful! we have discussion threads open, so please do join the conversation! :)

Oh man, I am sooooo behind... :(

I'm behind too, Muphyn. I thought I would get caught up quickly but for various reasons it is not happening. Lack of interest is not one of them! The book keeps getting more and more interesting to me.

But you're still ahead of me (good for you! :D ). Determined to catch up during semester break (coming up in three weeks, yay!!).

I just started reading and I'm appreciating everyone's comments and Marieke's helpful illustrations.

Hana wrote: "I just started reading and I'm appreciating everyone's comments and Marieke's helpful illustrations."

that's great!

please don't be disappointed in me as you continue reading because i did a poor job of keeping up with illustrations. but maybe that is fixable. :)

I'm just thrilled to find some other folks to share the reading with! Mind if I add some of best finds as I go along? You can take a look at my ongoing research here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...