New Book on Medieval West Africa by Michael A Gomez

[seekeroftruth]

Medieval West Africa

A groundbreaking history that puts early and medieval West Africa in a global context

Pick up almost any book on early and medieval world history and empire, and where do you find West Africa? On the periphery. This pioneering book, the first on this period of the region’s history in a generation, tells a different story. Interweaving political and social history and drawing on a rich array of sources, including Arabic manuscripts, oral histories, and recent archaeological findings, Michael Gomez unveils a new vision of how categories of ethnicity, race, gender, and caste emerged in Africa and in global history more generally. Scholars have long held that such distinctions arose during the colonial period, but Gomez shows they developed much earlier.

Focusing on the Savannah and Sahel region, Gomez traces the exchange of ideas and influences with North Africa and the Central Islamic Lands by way of merchants, scholars, and pilgrims. Islam’s growth in West Africa, in tandem with intensifying commerce that included slaves, resulted in a series of political experiments unique to the region, culminating in the rise of empire. A major preoccupation was the question of who could be legally enslaved, which together with other factors led to the construction of new ideas about ethnicity, race, gender, and caste―long before colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade.

Telling a radically new story about early Africa in global history, African Dominion is set to be the standard work on the subject for many years to come.


African Dominion

[nebsen]

Jan 6, 2018 1:39:35 GMT -5 seekeroftruth said:

Medieval West Africa

A groundbreaking history that puts early and medieval West Africa in a global context

Pick up almost any book on early and medieval world history and empire, and where do you find West Africa? On the periphery. This pioneering book, the first on this period of the region’s history in a generation, tells a different story. Interweaving political and social history and drawing on a rich array of sources, including Arabic manuscripts, oral histories, and recent archaeological findings, Michael Gomez unveils a new vision of how categories of ethnicity, race, gender, and caste emerged in Africa and in global history more generally. Scholars have long held that such distinctions arose during the colonial period, but Gomez shows they developed much earlier.

Focusing on the Savannah and Sahel region, Gomez traces the exchange of ideas and influences with North Africa and the Central Islamic Lands by way of merchants, scholars, and pilgrims. Islam’s growth in West Africa, in tandem with intensifying commerce that included slaves, resulted in a series of political experiments unique to the region, culminating in the rise of empire. A major preoccupation was the question of who could be legally enslaved, which together with other factors led to the construction of new ideas about ethnicity, race, gender, and caste―long before colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade.

Telling a radically new story about early Africa in global history, African Dominion is set to be the standard work on the subject for many years to come.

Thanks for the information on Michael A Gomez on his latest book on the West African Empires in medieval times. He is an excellent historian,I have a book he wrote a while back called," Reversing Sails " which deals with Ancient Kemet, Kush, etc. .

[BlessedbyHorus]

Oh *&^#! This is probably what I been looking for! FINALLY a NEW book on medieval West African history. Hope this author drops some new gems, because mosts books on this part of African history has the same old info. Gotta pick this up.

[melanitex]

Jan 6, 2018 1:39:35 GMT -5 seekeroftruth said:

Medieval West Africa

A groundbreaking history that puts early and medieval West Africa in a global context

Pick up almost any book on early and medieval world history and empire, and where do you find West Africa? On the periphery. This pioneering book, the first on this period of the region’s history in a generation, tells a different story. Interweaving political and social history and drawing on a rich array of sources, including Arabic manuscripts, oral histories, and recent archaeological findings, Michael Gomez unveils a new vision of how categories of ethnicity, race, gender, and caste emerged in Africa and in global history more generally. Scholars have long held that such distinctions arose during the colonial period, but Gomez shows they developed much earlier.

Focusing on the Savannah and Sahel region, Gomez traces the exchange of ideas and influences with North Africa and the Central Islamic Lands by way of merchants, scholars, and pilgrims. Islam’s growth in West Africa, in tandem with intensifying commerce that included slaves, resulted in a series of political experiments unique to the region, culminating in the rise of empire. A major preoccupation was the question of who could be legally enslaved, which together with other factors led to the construction of new ideas about ethnicity, race, gender, and caste―long before colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade.

Telling a radically new story about early Africa in global history, African Dominion is set to be the standard work on the subject for many years to come.

Sounds like a great upcoming book but I would have liked to see him get into some of the Non_Soudanic Empires further south like the Benin and Ashanti Empire.

[anansi]

Thanks for the heads up, looking fwd to what promises to be a great read, will also have to look into his other works, truth be told most of my books are outdated by now but still good read.

[nebsen]

This is the newest edition of" The Civilizations Of Africa : A History to 1800" by Christopher Ehret, which I'm almost completing at this time after a year of reading. This is IMHO a book that every one should have in their library. It deals with the Empires of West Africa in a very detailed way bring in a complete view unlike many books of the past. I bet Mr. Micheal Gomez has also read this ground breaking book to help him in his research in his latest book on medieval West Africa.

[snakepit]

Jan 6, 2018 2:11:05 GMT -5 nebsen said:

Jan 6, 2018 1:39:35 GMT -5 seekeroftruth said:

Medieval West Africa


A groundbreaking history that puts early and medieval West Africa in a global context

Pick up almost any book on early and medieval world history and empire, and where do you find West Africa? On the periphery. This pioneering book, the first on this period of the region’s history in a generation, tells a different story. Interweaving political and social history and drawing on a rich array of sources, including Arabic manuscripts, oral histories, and recent archaeological findings, Michael Gomez unveils a new vision of how categories of ethnicity, race, gender, and caste emerged in Africa and in global history more generally. Scholars have long held that such distinctions arose during the colonial period, but Gomez shows they developed much earlier.

Focusing on the Savannah and Sahel region, Gomez traces the exchange of ideas and influences with North Africa and the Central Islamic Lands by way of merchants, scholars, and pilgrims. Islam’s growth in West Africa, in tandem with intensifying commerce that included slaves, resulted in a series of political experiments unique to the region, culminating in the rise of empire. A major preoccupation was the question of who could be legally enslaved, which together with other factors led to the construction of new ideas about ethnicity, race, gender, and caste―long before colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade.

Telling a radically new story about early Africa in global history, African Dominion is set to be the standard work on the subject for many years to come.

Thanks for the information on Michael A Gomez on his latest book on the West African Empires in medieval times. He is an excellent historian,I have a book he wrote a while back called," Reversing Sails " which deals with Ancient Kemet, Kush, etc. .

The images aren't showing, and the link directs me to this thread, can you fix it?

[seekeroftruth]

Jan 8, 2018 17:59:55 GMT -5 snakepit said:

Jan 6, 2018 2:11:05 GMT -5 nebsen said:

Thanks for the information on Michael A Gomez on his latest book on the West African Empires in medieval times. He is an excellent historian,I have a book he wrote a while back called," Reversing Sails " which deals with Ancient Kemet, Kush, etc. .

The images aren't showing, and the link directs me to this thread, can you fix it?

link

[BlessedbyHorus]

About to buy this book. Did SOME research on the author. How good is he for those who have read his past book?

[seekeroftruth]

Jan 17, 2018 14:11:32 GMT -5 BlessedbyHorus said:

About to buy this book. Did SOME research on the author. How good is he for those who have read his past book?

I have his other books "Reversing sail" and "Exchanging our cultural marks" and they were good reads that presented some fresh perspective on identity formation.