African Dominion: A New History of Empire in Early and Medieval West Africa

The era of formal colonialism is long gone but its effects still linger in popular views of Africa. From time to time a politician, or some other influential public figure, echoes the old adage that Africa has no history, let alone high-culture or civilization. Michael A. Gomez's brilliant new book, African Dominion: A New History of Empire in Early and Medieval West Africa, offers another powerful rebuttal to such misconceptions. African Dominion is a meticulous study of West African experiment with empire over a period of many centuries before European contact in a region that could very well accommodate the entire continental area of the United States of America. It places the likes of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay on a par with some of the greatest empires of history, such as the Inca, Mongol, or Roman empires. Although essentially a political history, African Dominion also pays attention to the...