Patrick van Rensburg (1931-2017) was an anti-apartheid activist and self-made 'alternative educationist' whose work received international recognition with the Right Livelihood Award in 1981. Born in KwaZulu-Natal into what he described as a 'very ordinary South African family that believed in the virtue of racism', Van Rensburg became a self-styled rebel who tirelessly pursued his own vision of a brighter future for emerging societies in post-colonial southern Africa.

His emotional and intellectual struggle against his upbringing and cultural roots led him to reject his life of white privilege in South Africa. Determined to prevent the emergence of a privileged black elite in post-colonial society, he devoted his life to implementing an alternative, egalitarian approach to education, focusing on quality and functional schooling for the majority. Rewarded with the internationally prestigious Right Livelihood Award for his unique contribution to education, he saw this work as a 'necessary tool of development'.

Exiled from South Africa in 1960 because of his involvement in the London boycott campaign that gave birth to the Anti-Apartheid Movement, Van Rensburg moved to Botswana (then Bechuanaland). There he founded cooperatives, provided vocational training and was among the earliest educationists to espouse the discipline of development studies. Perhaps his best-known legacy is the Swaneng Hill School, which he founded to provide an educational home for primary school 'dropouts' through a curriculum that combined theory and practice, and academic and manual labour. He involved his pupils in building their school, running it, providing their own food, and making their own equipment and furniture.

Van Rensburg was an innovative and charismatic visionary who captured the zeitgeist of the late twentieth century, and whose work and vision still have resonance for debates in educational policy today.

This fourth edition of this best-selling core history textbook offers a richly illustrated, single volume, narrative introduction to African history, from a hugely respected authority in the field. The market-leading range of illustrated material from prior editions is now further improved, featuring not only additional and redrawn maps and a refreshed selection of photographs, but the addition of full colour to make these even more instructive, evocative and attractive. Already hugely popular on introductory African History courses, the book has been widely praised for its engaging and readable style, and is unrivalled in scope, both geographically and chronologically - while many competitors limit themselves to certain regions or eras, Shillington chronicles the entire continent, from prehistory right up to the present day. For this new edition, both content and layout have been thoroughly refreshed and restructured to make this wealth of material easily navigable, and even more appealing to students unfamiliar with the subject. New to this Edition: - Now in full colour with fresh new design - Part structure and part intros added to help navigation - New and improved online resources include a new testbank, interactive timelines, lecturer slides, debates In African history, essay questions and further readings - Revised and updated in light of recent research Accompanying online resources for this title can be found at bloomsburyonlineresources.com/history-of-africa-4e. These resources are designed to support teaching and learning when using this textbook and are available at no extra cost.

Covering the entire continent from Morocco, Libya, and Egypt in the north to the Cape of Good Hope in the south, and the surrounding islands from Cape Verde in the west to Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles in the east, the "Encyclopedia of African History" is a new A-Z reference resource on the history of the entire African continent. With entries ranging from the earliest evolution of human beings in Africa to the beginning of the twenty-first century, this comprehensive three volume Encyclopedia is the first reference of this scale and scope.
In nearly 1,100 entries, the "Encyclopedia" not only examines the well-established topics in African history but also looks at the social, economic, linguistic, anthropological, and political subjects that are being re-evaluated or newly opened for historical analysis by recent research and publication. All entries are at least 1,000 words in length and range from factual narrative entries to thematic and analytical discussions, and combinations ofall these. Longer entries range from 3,000 to 5,000 words in length and analyze broader topics such as regional general surveys and wide historical themes including the African Diaspora and Africa in World History.
The "Encyclopedia of African History" is an easily accessible resource that provides an introduction to virtually all aspects of African history from the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt to Nigeria's Fourth Republic. As the only reference resource with the latest in African history scholarship, this Encyclopedia is essential for those who are involved in teaching, researching, or studying Africaand its history. Also includes 99 maps.

Albert Rene is a towering figure of modern Seychelles who arouses intense emotions in both admirers and opponents. This first full-length biography analyses his early years, his political awakening and his struggle for full electoral support in the face of strong opposition. Frustrated by the slow pace of economic development and the extent of social division along racial lines, he took the fateful decision to seize power by coup d'etat in 1977. It is a dramatic story, which includes an attempted invasion by South African mercenaries. In 1992-3 Rene finessed a change from a one-party socialist state to multi-party rule. He bequeathed to his successor a transformed nation that had shed its oppressive racial hierarchy and had attained the highest social and economic indicators within the African region. Underlying the political drama is the story of the compassion and romance of the all too human man that is Albert Rene. The author adds authority to his account by the depth of his research through archives and contemporary newspapers as well as extensive interviews covering both political and personal life, the latter including interviews with all three of Albert Rene's wives.