An essential overview of great kingdoms in African history and their legacies, written by world-leading experts. From the ancient Nile Valley to the savannas of medieval West Africa, the Great Lakes of East Africa and on to the forests and grasslands to the south, African civilizations have given rise to some of the world's most impressive kingdoms. Here, nine leading historians of Africa take a fresh look at these kingdoms over five thousand years of recorded history. How did royal power operate in Africa and how were kings - and queens - 'made'? Did they display their sacred royal power, as in the great public ceremonies of the West African kingdoms of Asante and Dahomey, or hide it away, as beneath the fringed, beaded crowns that concealed the faces of Yoruba kings? How have African peoples recorded, celebrated and critiqued royal authority and its legacies? While absolute monarchy in Africa - as elsewhere in the world - is on the wane in the modern era, 'traditional' kingship continues to exist within many of its present-day nations, preserving ancient cultural ideas about identity and power. Africa's history is often little known beyond the devastation wrought by the slave trade and European colonial rule. Presenting some of the most exciting recent developments in the understanding of states and societies in the deeper past, Great Kingdoms of Africa challenges the outdated notion of the continent as an indistinct realm of 'lost kingdoms'. It shows how kingdoms with deep roots continued to shape African history throughout the twentieth century and into the present day.

Exploring the art, architecture, and design of memorials around the world from the late twentieth century to today Memorials hold a special position in the cultural memory of communities, cultures and nations, and In Memory Of demonstrates this as never before. This extraordinary and moving collection of more than 60 exceptional structures commemorates some of the most destructive events of the 20th and 21st centuries, including war, genocide, massacre, terrorism, famine, and slavery. At the same time, In Memory Of shows that the power to overcome, to survive, even to forgive, is just as impactful and important. Thoughtful essays on the subjects of hope, strength, grief, loss, and fear help to contextualize the projects and address the emotional aspects of memorialization.

A fascinating new take on the architecture of Adjaye, exploring his approach to five building materials through his projects David Adjaye is one of the most in-demand architects today, known for his thoughtful interpretation of public spaces. In order to understand him as an architect, you must look at his projects through the lens of material - a crucial consideration in his practice. Organized into five sections - Stone/Concrete, Wood, Metal, Glass, and Rammed Earth - Alchemy reimagines the traditional architect monograph by examining the importance of material in architecture, a study vital to Adjaye and his design process. In 2021, David Adjaye was awarded the RIBA Gold Medal, and he was among seven global leaders to receive a TIME100 Impact Award in 2022. The book features over 30 public, commercial, and residential projects around the world, from his 2001 Concrete Garden in London to the Amoako Boafo Gallery in Accra, Ghana, built with rammed earth and completed in 2022.

Daniela Keiser ranks among the most renowned contemporary artists in Switzerland. In 2017 she was awarded the Prix Meret Oppenheim as well as a studio grant from Landis & Gyr Stiftung that enabled her to embark on an extended stay in London's East End. There she discovered the Idea Store, the public library on Whitechapel Road built by British architect David Adjaye in 2001-05. Upon its opening to the public, this institution quickly became a meeting place for a broad spectrum of society including for socially disadvantaged people. The goal of the Idea Stores - eight of them have so far been opened in various London boroughs - is to enhance formerly neglected neighbourhoods and offer a low-threshold source of education and information. From that initial Idea Store on Whitechapel Road, Daniela Keiser began to take pictures of the goings-on in the street outside. Her Library - Idea Store series reveals a calm, repetitive but insistent image of the city and offers insight into the small everyday variations of the surrounding world. Her photographic reflection is accompanied by a conversation between David Adjaye and art and architecture historian Philip Ursprung. They talk about Keiser's perception of the site and - without actually showing the building - the impact of urban design and the architect's intentions.

The African continent contains some of the world's most vibrant culture and creativity, and yet its buildings - vernacular, colonial or contemporary - have rarely engaged the interest of Western architects. David Adjaye, the first black architect to establish a truly global reputation in his field, has found endless sources of inspiration for his designs in the rich - and chequered - heritage of Africa's teeming metropolises. His life dream was to return to the continent as an architect to document Africa's built environment. Over a long decade, he tirelessly documented these dynamic, colourful cities, photographing thousands of buildings, sites and places, and letting each building speak for itself in telling contrast to a design world obsessed with photorealistic slickness. The result was a stunning seven-volume work that has become an essential resource for all those interested in the burgeoning continent. This compact edition will make the fruits of this once-in-a-generation record available to a much wider audience. The result is one of the most original, ambitious and important architectural publications of our time, now available to everyone wishing to gain an understanding of a unique architectural heritage overlooked for too long.