Review by Choice Review
In this wide-ranging exploration of Africa's role in creating the modern world, French (journalism, Columbia Univ.) draws on a broad array of secondary sources to explore how this history has been withheld from the larger, more popular public narrative that remains decidedly Eurocentric. This engaging work consists of five parts that coincide chronologically with the changing interactions among Africa, Europe, and the rest of the world. The book commences with the early European forays down the African coast, which in turn increased interactions between Africans and Europeans. From there, the work moves into the transatlantic slave trade, 19th-century imperialism, and finally Africa's place within and contributions to the modern world up to WW II. French does not cover the entire scope of this history, as both the histories of Africa and its interactions with the rest of the world are immense; he instead utilizes case studies throughout to make his point. This focus within each chapter is effective but does raise questions that make readers want more. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers through graduate students. --Ty M. Reese, Univ. of North Dakota
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Gold and slaves from Africa were "the very fulcrum of modernity," according to this eye-opening if tendentious history. Columbia journalism professor French (A Continent for the Taking) argues that the rise of the West relied on West African gold exports, which stimulated Europe's economy, and the trade in African slaves who produced sugar on Caribbean islands and cotton in the antebellum American South. These two fabulously profitable commodities were central to the rise of British and American capitalism, French contends, and birthed regimented production processes that were a model for industrial labor regimes. Though French elucidates much neglected history here, especially on relations between early modern Europe and the sophisticated--and pro-slavery--polities of Africa, his claim that without slave labor Europe might have remained a "geographic and civilizational dead end" lagging eternally behind Asia and the Islamic world goes too far, and he doesn't fully explain why Western industries and societies kept flourishing even after slavery's demise. Elsewhere, French assigns near-magical properties to slave-grown sugar, suggesting that it was essential to the Industrial Revolution, newspapers, and the birth of the "modern public sphere." The result is an intriguing yet overwrought take on the global economy's dire origins. Photos. (Oct.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Award-winning reporter French (journalism, Columbia Univ.; China's Second Continent) argues that citizens of Western countries too-often believe that their nation's economic power is the simple byproduct of its own success. Oftentimes, there is little to no credit given to the enslaved African who paid the ultimate price for white nations' wealth and prestige; French aims to correct the record in this book. He seamlessly guides readers through an immense 600-year global history of slavery, skillfully weaving in his own anecdotal experiences. French argues that it is time for historians to full-throatedly acknowledge that the events that marked significant global change (the Enlightenment, the American Revolution, industrialization) could not have happened without stealing the labor and resources of enslaved Africans throughout the Atlantic world. There are few words that can express the resounding impact of French's breathtaking work on the known historiography of African and African American history. VERDICT Highly recommended for any audience (professional or general) with an interest in African or African diaspora studies, history of the Atlantic slave trade, the Atlantic world, pre-industrialization, U.S. history, general world history, or sociology.--Monique Martinez, Univ. of North Georgia Lib., Dahlonega
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A Black journalist reframes modern history by restoring Africa to its rightful place at the center of the story. In his latest sweeping book, French, a journalism professor at Columbia and former New York Times foreign correspondent, argues that Europe's conquest of the world was driven not by a desire for access to Asia, but rather a yearning for the modernity and economic prosperity of Africa. The author believes that restoring Africa's true place in world history and current affairs is a step toward combatting the racist "diminishment, trivialization, and erasure" of Africans from world history. To this end, French traces "the deeply twinned and tragic history of Africa and Europe that began with geopolitical collisions in the fifteenth century." The author maintains a particular focus on the roles of African gold, sugar, and slavery in shaping the modern global economy. Throughout, French dispels countless historical myths, including many that render Africans disempowered victims rather than key actors. For example, the author recounts how, in the 1440s, Portugal stopped raiding African countries for slaves, opting instead to negotiate trade agreements with powerful African leaders who profited from the sale of their own people. French also describes the ways in which--despite being painted as a backward continent--African industries were more sophisticated than European ones. The Portuguese were especially covetous of textiles and metalwork Africans produced using complex techniques unknown in Europe. The author effectively argues that these early beginnings shaped the modern era all the way to African independence movements in the World War II era. This meticulously researched book eloquently debunks conventional understanding of European conquest. While each page is so densely packed with facts that it sometimes feels more like a textbook than creative nonfiction, French's underlying argument and accompanying cogent analysis make for essential reading for anyone looking to decolonize their understanding of the Western world. A fascinating retelling of modern history that restores Africa to its rightful place. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
