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Davidson, Basil, Africa, History of a Continent, New York, MacMillan, 1966, pp. 320, 13 maps, 282 plates and figures (40 in color), $29.95

Davidson, Basil, Africa, History of a Continent, New York, MacMillan, 1966, pp. 320, 13 maps, 282... Basil Davidson with the essential help of some wonderful photography by Werner Forman has produced a beautiful portrait of Africa's past. Only 41 % of the book is devoted to the text and the illustrations fit the mood of the book to present an understanding of the highlights and essence of African history. The pictures are essential and illustrate the arts of Africa both architectural and plastic. He rightly sees the religions of Africa as the "moral and emotive force" of... (the) "splendid arts with which these religions are organically and inseparably linked." They are in Davidson's view the "literature of African belief... the embodiment and statement of old and intricate speculations." The arts are linked to the social structure of diverse societies and the central theme of this adventurous history is the "transformation of early political organisations (during the Iron Age) into states." The history is treated in a series of themes to show the unity and "continuity of cultural growth from an immense depth in time." Only 6% of the text deals with the period of colonial rule from 1880 and there is a section on 'Towards Liberation' and the Independence period of nearly the same http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Asian and African Studies (in 2002 continued as African and Asian Studies) Brill

Davidson, Basil, Africa, History of a Continent, New York, MacMillan, 1966, pp. 320, 13 maps, 282 plates and figures (40 in color), $29.95

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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0021-9096
eISSN
1568-5217
DOI
10.1163/156852169X00403
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Basil Davidson with the essential help of some wonderful photography by Werner Forman has produced a beautiful portrait of Africa's past. Only 41 % of the book is devoted to the text and the illustrations fit the mood of the book to present an understanding of the highlights and essence of African history. The pictures are essential and illustrate the arts of Africa both architectural and plastic. He rightly sees the religions of Africa as the "moral and emotive force" of... (the) "splendid arts with which these religions are organically and inseparably linked." They are in Davidson's view the "literature of African belief... the embodiment and statement of old and intricate speculations." The arts are linked to the social structure of diverse societies and the central theme of this adventurous history is the "transformation of early political organisations (during the Iron Age) into states." The history is treated in a series of themes to show the unity and "continuity of cultural growth from an immense depth in time." Only 6% of the text deals with the period of colonial rule from 1880 and there is a section on 'Towards Liberation' and the Independence period of nearly the same

Journal

Journal of Asian and African Studies (in 2002 continued as African and Asian Studies) – Brill

Published: Jan 1, 1969

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