Author: Reader, John Title: Africa: Biography of a Continent Subject: Africa / Non-Fiction Rank (out of 10): 8 Year Read: 2002 Recommended By: Karen (Ireland) My Comments: This tome of a book is an excellent book to read about Africa and should be read after Blaine Harden's book. It covers a vast variety of topics from geology, evolution, politics, economics, culture and more. This is one of the 2 must-read books if you are traveling to the continent. Official Reviews: Reviews Synopsis A one-volume history of Africa which starts in geological pre-history and the formation of the continent. It spans; the ecology of the continent and the arrival of man; first settlement 30,000 years ago, the developments of the black population; the formation of tribes and animist religion etc; then white colonization, the slave trade, missionaries, gold and diamonds in South Africa, the scramble for colonies, and finally in this century, decolonisation and African nationalism. this massive book will be the result of four years research most of it in Africa.