Encyclopedia of African History, edited by Kevin Shillington. 3 vols. 1,824p. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2005. 1-57958-245-1; 2004-16779. $395.
Where students once faced a dearth of up-to-date encyclopedias about Africa, researchers can now choose from three reasonably good sources. The Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara (Charles Scribner's, 1997) provided a solid interdisciplinary introduction to the nations and cultures of the continent. Africana: the Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience (Basic Civitas Books, 1999), though equally focused on the African Diaspora, also provided general overviews of African cultures with an excellent range of biographical material. A multi-volume revision is planned by Oxford University Press this year.
The new Encyclopedia of African History distinguishes itself from its predecessors by providing in-depth, scholarly essays on nearly 1,100 topics in African history. From early hominids and rock art to the fall of Apartheid and Eritrean independence, the scope of this encyclopedia is the entire continent of Africa and its full span of history. In the tradition of the UNESCO General History of Africa (University of California Press, 1981-1993), the effort is made to tell this story from an African point of view — more than a third of the 330 contributing scholars are African.
Entries range from 1,000 to 5,000 words in length and provide numerous cross-references and suggestions for further reading. Numerous articles specific to a particular nation may be grouped under that country's name. For example, 50 articles on aspects of Egyptian history are listed under Egypt, while there are 28 under South Africa and 20 articles treating Iron Age Africa. Ancient kingdoms, modern cities and prominent peoples are also featured. Other topics include gold, slavery, travelers, women and historiography. Though sparingly illustrated, there are 100 maps and 103 photographs supporting the text. An excellent index leads researchers to thousands of topics. Considering the emphasis on establishing the periods of African history, the lack of a detailed chronology is a surprising fault. Nonetheless, the excellent work is highly recommended for academic libraries.