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Books > History > African history > General
In this book, Rebekah Lee offers a critical introduction to the
diverse history of health, healing and illness in sub-Saharan
Africa from the 1800s to the present day. Its focus is not simply
on disease but rather on how illness and health were understood and
managed: by healthcare providers, African patients, their families
and communities. Through a sustained interdisciplinary approach,
Lee brings to the foreground a cast of actors, institutions and
ideas that both profoundly and intimately shaped African health
experiences and outcomes. This book guides the reader through a
wide range of historical source material, and highlights the
theoretical and methodological innovations which have enriched this
scholarship. Part One delivers a concise historical overview of
African health and illness from the long 'pre-colonial' past
through the colonial period and into the present day, providing an
understanding of broad patterns - of major disease challenges,
experiences of illness, and local and global health interventions -
and their persistence or transformation across time. Part Two
adopts a 'case study' approach, focusing on specific health
challenges in Africa - HIV/AIDS, mental illness, tropical disease
and occupational disease - and their unfolding across time and
space. Health, Healing and Illness in African History is the first
wide-ranging survey of this key topic in African history and the
history of health and medicine, and the ideal introduction for
students.
A century ago, one of the five most recognizable names in the world
was arguably that of Paul Kruger, president of the Transvaal
Republic-a small Southern African country inhabited by a white
tribe-who took on the overwhelming superiority of the mighty
British Empire in defense of his people's sovereign independence.
It was a David and Goliath story. As most of the world-including
the US-cheered the Boers on, they fought a desperate war to the
bitter end (1899-1902) against colonialism, until their country lay
smoldering in ruins and an estimated 27, 929 Boer women and
children, as well as an untold number of blacks, had died in
British concentration camps.Yet within little more than half a
century, those same Afrikaners had squandered their political
capital and gone from being the world's favorite underdog to one of
the most reviled names in history. Their subsequent social
engineering project known as apartheid became an abhorrent concept
in the eyes of the international community. Bernard Botes Kruger is
a fifth-generation descendant of the wartime president, Paul
Kruger. He is an Afrikaner who lived most of his life in the
turmoil and conflict that has dominated his country's history. His
new historical novel, A Battlement of Spears, tells the remarkable
story of how not only the Afrikaners, but also the many other
former sovereign nations within the redrawn borders of the postwar
South Africa struggled to come to terms with a common identity,
often with devastating consequences. "What cruel twist of tectonic
irony caused the deepest scar on the earth's surface across the
face of that continent that would also suffer the most appalling of
human tragedies?" the author asks. Set against the backdrop of the
timeless mountain called in Zulu uKhahlamba (Barrier of Spears), a
dramatic geographic boundary that divided nations throughout
history, A Battlement of Spears is an epic story spanning
twenty-four years and two continents, of two young men with similar
interests but vastly different cultural backgrounds who become
unlikely friends. In a tragic series of events they will discover
what sacrifices are exacted from those who would dwell in the
symbolic no man's land of the summit, where fog often obscures the
vision and deprivation dulls the senses, until it becomes all too
easy to drift into hostile territory or stumble into the jaws of
the precipice. In the process they will become separated, spending
a lifetime before finding each other again a world away, on a
different continent. But in the course of their respective
journeys, they will also learn that barriers are not always what
they seem, and that choices are sometimes inevitable, with
far-reaching consequences. In that hauntingly beautiful land it is
never merely about survival, but about the things that make it
truly worthwhile, such as loyalty, friendship and honor, regardless
of the price. Written in a style that endeavors to entertain while
enlightening the uninformed about South Africa's long road to
democracy, the book provides extensive background explanations
(yes, footnotes) to those interested in the historical,
anthropological or linguistic aspects of a 'rainbow nation, ' which
today recognizes eleven official languages and several royal
families, besides a multitude of unofficial languages and dialects.
And while A Battlement of Spears is a work of fiction, based,
according to the author, on "countless true stories," it becomes
evident within the first few pages that many of the events
portrayed are too detailed and specific not to have been
experienced by someone. Some elements of the story are unmistakably
autobiographical, but much of it simply represents the collective
consciousness of a people struggling to find solutions.
Selena Axelrod Winsnes has been engaged, since 1982, in the
translation into English, and editing of Danish language sources to
West African history, sources published from 1697 to 1822, the
period during which Denmark-Norway was an actor in the
Transatlantic Slave Trade. It comprises five major books written
for the Scandinavian public. They describe all aspects of life on
the Gold Coast Ghana], the Middle Passage and the Danish Caribbean
islands US Virgin Islands], as seen by five different men. Each had
his own agenda and mind-set, and the books, both singly and
combined, hold a wealth of information - of interest both to
scholars and lay readers. They provide important insights into the
cultural baggage the enslaved Africans carried with them to the
America's. One of the books, L.F.Rmer's A Reliable Account of the
Coast of Guinea was runner-up for the prestigious international
texts prize awarded by the U.S. African Studies Association. Selena
Winsnes lived in Ghana for five years and studied at the University
of Ghana, Legon. Her mother tongue is English; and, working
free-lance, she resides premanently in Norway with her husband,
four children and eight grandchildren. In 2008, she was awarded an
Honorary Doctor of Letters for distinguished scholarship by the
University of Ghana, Legon
With the summer of 2012 marking half a century of independence for
Algeria, the Algerian War has been brought into discussions in
France once more, where parallels between the past and present are
revealed. This analysis takes an in-depth look at the war from 1954
to 1962 and the response from the French left. Drawing from
documents and interviews, it offers a full account of not only the
role of the revolutionary left in giving political and practical
solidarity to the Algerian liberation struggle, but also that of
the Trotskyists during that period. Including a section on how the
war has been reflected in fiction, this volume is sure to interest
academics across various fields.
Dr Jacob Chikuhwa continues with his academic analysis of both the
political and economic developments in Zimbabwe. Supported by well
researched historical narrative and economic data, Zimbabwe: The
End of the First Republic examines the triumphs and tribulations of
the Zimbabwean national project leading to the adoption of a
home-grown constitution and the July 31, 2013 elections. Although
the war of liberation led to Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, it
has not established democracy, functioning health and education
systems and equal opportunities for Zimbabweans. What Zimbabweans
experience is decay of infrastructure with very little in the state
coffers despite abundant natural resources. The theme on economic
performance focuses on numerous failed economic blueprints that
began with the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme during the
early 1990s. The haphazard land-reform programme and the
exploitation of mineral resources take centre stage. While Zimbabwe
is poised to supply 25% of world diamond output, the way tenders
are being awarded for the diamond mining has highlighted the need
for accountability and transparency. Before the coalition
government was formed in 2009, the country had gone from being one
of Africa's strongest economies to one of its weakest - as
Zimbabweans grappled with hyperinflation, mass unemployment and
widespread poverty. Although the Short Term Emergency Recovery
Programme brought some semblance of economic stability, the way
indigenisation and economic empowerment are being carried out make
investors shun the southern African country. Chikuhwa's economic
study focuses on how corruption and a lack of transparency and
accountability in Zimbabwe's governance have intensified social
problems, crime and poverty, and have alienated the IMF and World
Bank as well as potential foreign investors. This study, rich in
statistical data and heartfelt commentary, will serve as a useful
introduction for those studying Zimbabwe's recent history and
economic development and entrepreneurs looking for investment
opportunities.
This volume deals with the chronology of Ancient Egypt from the
fourth millennium until the Hellenistic Period. An initial section
reviews the foundations of Egyptian chronology, both ancient and
modern, from annals and kinglists to C14 analyses of archaeological
data. Specialists discuss sources, compile lists of known dates,
and analyze biographical information in the section devoted to
relative chronology. The editors are responsible for the final
section which attempts a synthesis of the entire range of available
data to arrive at alternative absolute chronologies. The
prospective readership includes specialists in Near Eastern and
Aegean studies as well as Egyptologists.
Teen die einde van die Anglo-Boereoorlog was terme soos "misdaad
teen die mensdom", "oorlogsmisdadigers", volkemoord" en "etniese
suiwering" begrippe wat nog ver in die geskiedenis le. Bykans 'n
kwart van die konsentrasiekampbevolking het gedurende agt maande in
1901 daar omgekom. Aan die iende van die oorlog sou 29 000
afrikaners, waarvan 22 000 kinders, en moontlik soveel as 18 000
swart mense hulle einde in konsentrasiekapker-howe vind. Die
sterftes in die kampe, hele dorpe wat verwoes is, die platteland
wat grootskaals ontvolk is, en die vrees dat die "hele Afrikaanse
volk kan uitsterf", sou uiteindelik tot die Vrede van Vereeniging
lei. Die konsentrasiekampe het in die hart van die Afrikaner 'n
vuur van verbittering aangesteek wat dalk nooit geblus sal word
nie. As al die smart, smaad en verbittering wat die Afrikaner in sy
ganse geskiedenis gely het, lankal vergete sal wees, sal daardie
vuur nog vlam, want dit het " 'n merk vir die eeue gebrand op ons
volk"(Leipoldt).
With forty accessible essays on the key intellectual contributions
to Pan-Africanism, this volume offers readers a fascinating insight
into the intellectual thinking and contributions to Pan-Africanism.
The book explores the history of Pan-Africanism and quest for
reparations, early pioneers of Pan-Africanism as well as key
activists and politicians, and Pan-African philosophy and literati.
Diverse and key figures of Pan-Africanism from Africa, the
Caribbean, and America are covered by these chapters, including:
Edward Blyden, W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Amy Ashwood Garvey,
George Padmore, Kwame Nkrumah, Franz Fanon, Amilcar Cabral, Arthur
Lewis, Maya Angelou, C.L.R. James, Ruth First, Ali Mazrui, Wangari
Maathai, Thabo Mbeki, Wole Soyinka, Derek Walcott, and Chimamanda
Adichie. While acknowledging the contributions of these figures to
Pan-Africanism, these essays are not just celebratory, offering
valuable criticism in areas where their subjects may have fallen
short of their ideals. -- .
'A brilliant account of Africa’s most extraordinary dictator . . . This book will become a classic.' Economist A sparkling account of the rise and fall of Mobutu Sese Seko, the charismatic dictator who plundered his country’s wealth and indulged a passion for pink champagne, gold jewellery and chartered Concordes. Absurdity, anarchy and corruption run riot in Michela Wrong’s fascinating dissection of the Congo; a story of grim comedy amidst the apocalypse and a celebration of the sheer indestructibility of the human spirit.
South Africa came late to television; when it finally arrived in the late 1970s the rest of the world had already begun to shun the country because of apartheid. While the ruling National Party feared the integrative effects of television, they did not foresee how exclusion from globally unifying broadcasts would gradually erode their power.
Throughout the apartheid-era, South Africa was barred from participating in some of television’s greatest global attractions, including sporting events such as the Olympics and contests such as Miss World. After apartheid, and with the release of Nelson Mandela from prison – itself one of the world’s most memorable media events, came a proliferation of large-scale live broadcasts that attracted the admiration of the rest of the world. At the same time, the country was permitted to return to international competition. These events were pivotal in shaping and consolidating the country’s emerging post-apartheid national identity.
Broadcasting the End of Apartheid assesses the socio-political effect of live broadcasting on South Africa’s transition to democracy. Martha Evans argues that just as print media had a powerful influence on the development of Afrikaner nationalism, so the “liveness” of television helped to consolidate the “newness” of the post-apartheid South African national identity.
Napoleon's Egyptian adventure by an Egyptian historian
It is a fascinating and compelling aspect of the character of
Napoleon Bonaparte that as his star accelerated towards its zenith,
his imagination and ambition for his own potential and those of the
French revolutionary spirit he represented knew almost no limits.
He saw the dominance of Europe and the Mediterranean region as but
a gateway into the world at large with a limitless resource of
lands, assets, trade and political influence not only for the
taking but within the scope of his abilities to win. This found a
French expeditionary force on the shores of Egypt, embarked upon
what many regarded then and since as a romance, an adventure -an
invasion with no real purpose, no logical place to go and no
objective to achieve. An army determined to make its way by
traditional force was accompanied by 'savants' concerned with
expansion of knowledge and culture. It was a heady mixture and
almost certainly doomed to disaster. Nelson, a British army,
domestic discord and the truculent native population of a harsh
oriental land far from home, hurried failure on its way. For the
military historian the subject is entirely compelling. What makes
this concise book interesting is that the era is considered here by
an Egyptian historian who presents unique perspectives which will
flesh out accounts by the French invaders or indeed those by modern
historians from the West. This book originally brought the status
of the Egyptian people up to date at the time the author wrote the
his work, but since that was at the close of the nineteenth century
and the sands of the middle east have shifted considerably since,
the Leonaur editors have excised that element of the piece and this
book is now confined to a single subject-that of a Napoleonic
period history.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each
title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our
hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their
spines and fabric head and tail bands.
Churchill's personal account of the first five months of the Second
Boer War; including the Relief of Ladysmith, and Churchill's
capture and dramatic escape from the Boers.
The Egyptian Heaven and Hell is a three-volume series, presented
here in one convenient text, about the Egyptian underworld, or
world of the dead. According to Egyptian mythology, the region of
Tuat was where the people of this world went after death, and where
the Sun God Ra traveled in his boat after dark. A description of
this world was inscribed on the walls of tombs. Volume I of the
series contains the complete hieroglyphic text and English
translation of the Book Am-Tuat. Volume II contains the complete
text and translation of Book of Gates, as well as the text and
translation of the short form of Book Am-Tuat. Volume III contains
information on the origin and contents of the Books of the Other
World and a full index to Volumes I, II, and III. This
comprehensive work is essential to students of Egyptian mythology
and Wallis Budge.SIR ERNEST ALFRED THOMPSON WALLIS BUDGE
(1857-1934) was born in Bodmin, Cornwall in the UK and discovered
an interest in languages at a very early age. Budge spent all his
free time learning and discovering Semitic languages, including
Assyrian, Syriac, and Hebrew. Eventually, through a close contact,
he was able to acquire a job working with Egyptian and Iraqi
artifacts at the British Museum. Budge excavated and deciphered
numerous cuneiform and hieroglyphic documents, contributing vastly
to the museum's collection. Eventually, he became the Keeper of his
department, specializing in Egyptology. Budge wrote many books
during his lifetime, most specializing in Egyptian life, religion,
and language.
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