C. Magbaily Fyle is Professor in the African-American and African Studies Department, Ohio State University.

• chapter 1 Background to the Study of African Historychapter 2 Prehistory, Metal Working and the Agricultural Revolution in Africachapter 3 Ancient Nile Valley Civilizationschapter 4 North Africa, Islam and the Emergence of the Western Sudan Civilizationschapter 5 Iron Age Societies in East Africachapter 6 Early Societies in Central and Southern Africachapter 7 The Kingdom of Malichapter 8 Songhai, Kanem and Islam in the Forest Regions of West Africachapter 9 Egypt, the Magrib and Northeast Africa to the Nineteenth Centurychapter 10 Nineteenth Century Political Culturechapter 11 Culture and the Economychapter 12 Coastal Societies and External Influences after 1400chapter 13 The Trans Atlantic Slave Trade and Africachapter 14 Islam and Political Change in West Africachapter 15 Nineteenth Century Political Transformationschapter 16 Africa on the Eve of Partitionchapter 17 Some Suggested Readingschapter 18 Index

The end result is a compact and readable book that will likely make an impact on students. . . . Fyle's book will certainly find a niche in precolonial African history courses.