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Born in Blackness
- Africa, Africans, and the Making of the Modern World, 1471 to the Second World War
- Narrated by: James Fouhey
- Length: 16 hrs and 49 mins
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Born in Blackness
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Summary
Traditional accounts of the making of the modern world afford a place of primacy to European history. Some credit the fifteenth-century Age of Discovery and the maritime connection it established between West and East; others the accidental unearthing of the "New World." Still others point to the development of the scientific method, or the spread of Judeo-Christian beliefs; and so on, ad infinitum. The history of Africa, by contrast, has long been relegated to the remote outskirts of our global story. What if, instead, we put Africa and Africans at the very center of our thinking about the origins of modernity?
In a sweeping narrative spanning more than six centuries, Howard W. French does just that, for Born in Blackness vitally reframes the story of medieval and emerging Africa, demonstrating how the economic ascendancy of Europe, the anchoring of democracy in the West, and the fulfillment of so-called Enlightenment ideals all grew out of Europe's dehumanizing engagement with the "dark" continent. In fact, French reveals, the first impetus for the Age of Discovery was not—as we are so often told, even today—Europe's yearning for ties with Asia, but rather its centuries-old desire to forge a trade in gold with legendarily rich Black societies sequestered away in the heart of West Africa.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Richard Lyus
- 01-08-24
Excellent
Fundamentally changed my perspective on humanity’s last five hundred years and the origins of western modernity.
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- Anonymous User
- 25-08-22
A tour de force!
This is French's magnum opus, very illuminative and educative! I definitely recommend it today.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- ndodana siziba
- 31-08-23
Brilliant
An important addition to black history literature. It illuminates the history that for so long has been conveniently hidden and/or distorted to abet in the perpetuation of the ‘Africa is a dark continent with no history’ view. Thank you French for this work which alongside other literature such as ‘The Interest & ‘Slavery by another name’, highly recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 29-09-22
Essential.
Black history that must be heard to be believed. This will reverse your view of the world.
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- Auds
- 27-08-22
History of History Books on Black Lives
An account to be read by all to complete the narratives recounted in history books.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- The Chief
- 04-11-24
The hidden history of European wealth
This has been such an eye opening book. Well researched and not shy about tackling the difficult questions. As an African living in Europe, this has been most welcome. I have been recommending it to anyone that will listen.
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- Akin Wright
- 01-05-23
Incredible
If you want to the learn the real truth of black people worldwide history, then this book is more than essential reading, it’s a must read by all people
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- J. Deane
- 06-07-23
Not what I hoped for
I was looking for a work from the perspective of Africa, and at times that happened. The bits on the early Portuguese contacts and conflicts were the best bit.
It soon fell into the trap that we see in so many books, of viewing Africa via an outsiders gaze, There are enough works on the Atlantic slave trade that this didn't need to replicate, and surprisingly little on what we know of pre-colonial Africa.
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- Anonymous User
- 02-10-23
Beyond expectations
Both narrator and the content itself are beyond expectations. Essential book for those who wants to perceive better.
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