Africa. A Short History (review)

In reviewing a one-volume history of Africa, one has to stand in awe at the courageous spirit that embarked on such a feat. Here, Robert O. Collins, already well known for his Problems in African History (Markus Wiener, 1992) and Documents from the African Past (Markus Wiener, 2001), has presented us with an elegantly written narrative that takes us from prehistoric times to contemporary Africa in fewer than 250 pages.

Needless to say, the text is concise, and it is precisely for its brevity that it is important for the reader to understand what Collins has achieved in this work. The author gives us few clues as to whom he envisions as his primary audience. Single-volume histories, however, often fall into one of two categories. Some are intended as an introduction for the uninitiated and can be useful to casual readers, teachers, and students. Others are conceived as works of synthesis that attempt to make innovative interpretative connections. The latter tend to be better appreciated by readers who already have a background in the topic at hand, in this case, professional historians and graduate students. Collins's book falls somewhere in between these two groups. Both—readers with no previous knowledge of African history and seasoned historians—will find useful elements in this text, although they will likely be different things.

Uninitiated readers will find that the text often lacks the signposting and the framing of questions that would help them follow what is, by necessity, a complex narrative. For example, the author often writes about the demographic changes experienced in the African continent, but it is not until the very end of the book that he explains why demography is an important theme in African history. In a similar way, when the author refers to Kush as the "corridor to Africa," he fails to explain the significance of that metaphor. In contrast, there are sections of the book where questions are framed more explicitly and where the narrative seems to flow in a less arbitrary manner. I particularly found the chapter titled "European Conquest and Colonization" quite engaging, since it started with a well-defined and identifiable question and developed it consistently throughout the text. The sections on the slave trade are also very useful since Collins does not limit himself to the trans-Atlantic trade but also briefly examines the systems that existed in the Sahara, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean. It was slightly disconcerting that the author would choose to discuss the main themes of his narrative at the very end rather than presenting them at the beginning of the book. In my opinion, these would have helped immensely those readers who are approaching the history of Africa for the first time.

The book works better as a synthesis for a reader who already has some knowledge of African history. Professional historians of Africa, well-educated readers, and advanced graduate students will be able to follow a well-crafted work of synthesis, although not one that intends to present an innovative overarching interpretation. Still, there are points that I found particularly stimulating. The examination of African slavery and the assessment of the role of the African middle classes in postindependence Africa made me reformulate some questions and will force me to revisit some of the literature in these areas.

Given its characteristics, this book will be a valuable tool for teachers and graduate students. Certain chapters can also be useful for course reading in introductory courses, although these need to be carefully chosen. Finally, historians of Africa will also benefit from reading this text. Like any good work of synthesis it will encourage reconceptualization and reassessment and thus will contribute to the exploration of old and new questions.