Includes bibliographical references and index.

Ancient Africa -- Revolutionary Africa -- Colonial Africa -- Independent Africa.

Publisher's description: The Fifth Edition of Robert July's critically acclaimed work continues the tradition of excellence established in previous editions, providing a comprehensive history that both illuminates and clarifies events past and present. A History of the African People, 5/E surveys Africa's history from its earliest beginnings to the present day, exploring themes that cut across time and place to furnish their own unity and consistency: the migrations of peoples, the power of religion, the enduring impact of Africa's climate, and Africa's relationship with the wider world--that is, the invasion of foreign peoples, ideas, and institutions that has been a pervasive influence in shaping African political, economic, and social life. This volume addresses the role of women in Africa's history, includes additional sections on slavery and the slave trade, and discusses the persistent difficulties of African societies to gain the economic and social advantages hoped for from independence. July examines Africa's peoples and its cultures with an authority that has made this book the standard in the field and an indispensable guide to understanding the complexity of the African struggle for nationhood.