The Intellectual Traditions of Pre-Colonial Africa

By Hilliard, Constance Hilliard, Constance

Presents a collection of sources (both written and oral), detailing the intellectual tradition of Ancient Africa to the mid-19th Century. This book focuses on the work of Africans, and provides... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0070288984
• ISBN13: 9780070288980
• Release Date: September 1997
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 463 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.5" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Outstanding Book And A must Read

The Intellectual Traditions of Pre-Colonial Africa is one if the best books written that l have read about the early history of Africa.The editor [Dr.Hilliard] undertook a history long overlooked and brought to light a remarkable ancient history of Africa.This extraordinary book gives the readers knowledge of Africa pasts as who is an African and their early development.Dr.Hilliard was able to examined Africa kingdoms and their earliest populations and religious traditions.The book also pointout one of the most tragic legacies of Africa's slave past and European colonialism of Africa continent.Dr.Hilliard also addresses the early Hausaland history,the development of the Muslim in Northern Nigeria and the proper treatment of women by the Hausa muslim.This is a very rich book about the Africans and an essential read for anyone seeking insight into the Africa unknown past.

Blows away myths about Africa

Intellectual Traditions of Pre-Colonial Africa is the most comprehensive representation of Africa's rich cultural heritage that I have seen in print. This is the Africa that white history books try to pretend doesn't exist! Dr. Hilliard completely destroys the myth of Africa as a backward, uncivilized and illiterate continent of savages. Africa has long been considered to be the cradle of civilization. With such a long history it makes sense that Africa would be full of rich oral and intellectual traditions, many of which Dr. Hilliard has addressed in her book. Its a wonder that no one has written a book like this before. Anyone with more than a passing interest in Africa's cultural heritage should read this book. It is the ultimate reference on African culture.

Ground-breaking work!

Dr. Hilliard, transcends the limitations of academia to provide viable insight into a people with stark honesty and innate wisdom. Often misrepresented and misunderstood, she avoids this trap by presenting the traditions as a representation of an intellectual system....without extraction, for the Western mind to perceive. A remarkable accomplishment, and generous gift.Y.Dubel