Problems in African History: The Pre-Colonial Centuries (Expanded Edition)

Collins I front covThis updated and expanded new collection covers the major problems in the field, incorporating classic texts, the newest research, and recent controversies about the origins of African history and Africa’s contributions to non-Western world history.

The themes presented include:
• Africa and Egypt
• African States and Trade
• Islam and Africa
• The Role of Women in African States and Societies
• Slavery in Africa and the Formation of Global African Diasporas

Other titles in the “Problems in African History” series, edited by Robert O. Collins and co-editors:
• Volume II – Historical Problems of Imperial Africa
• Volume III – Problems in the History of Modern Africa


Robert O. Collins, University of California, Santa Barbara, was the author or editor of over twenty books on African history, including Africa: A Short History and the collection of primary sources Documents of the African Past.

Ruth Iyob teaches Political Science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She specializes in the study of nationalism, conflict resolution, and postcolonial citizenship in the regions straddling the African Mediterranean and the Horn of Africa. Her publications on Eritrea and Sudan have received international recognition.