An essential overview of great kingdoms in African history and their legacies, written by world-leading experts.

This is the first book for a general reader to explore the great precolonial kingdoms of Africa that have been marginalized throughout history. An array of leading scholars offer an innovative and thought-provoking overview that takes us from ancient Egypt and Nubia to the Zulu Kingdom almost 2000 years later. The book aims to decentre European colonialism and slavery as the major themes of African history and instead explore the kingdoms, dynasties and city-states that have shaped cultures across the African continent. This is a vital book for anyone who wants to expand their knowledge of Africa’s rich history.

While Africa in the twenty-first century is emerging as a crucial part of the changing world order, many readers know little about Africa’s past, beyond the devastation wrought by European colonialists. This books sets out to explore the complexity of Africa’s precolonial history, from the Songhai Empire to the Sokoto Caliphate. Each chapter is written by a leading historian, interweaving political and social history and drawing on a rich array of sources, including oral histories and recent archaeological findings.