by Colin McEvedy

This invaluable reference work provides a succinct account of the development of African society from the first appearance of man to the complex polity of the late 1990s. Kingdoms and Empires are only part of the story. The Atlas covers the development of modern man, the differentiation and spread of african languages, the first crossings of the Sahara, the exploration of the Niger, and the search for 'the fountains of the Nile'. Gold and Ivory lure traders from far away; Christendom and Islam compete for African attention. Names from the distant past become nation-states with aspirations appropriate to the modern world.