The African City
A History

This book gives a comprehensive picture of cities in Africa from early origins to the present.

Bill Freund (Author)

9780521821094, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 5 March 2007

226 pages
22.9 x 16.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.5 kg

"For the nonspecialist the book offers an excellent and timely review of past and continuing debates. For the uninitiated student, it creates an accessible introduction to several views into urban Africa. For the reader in search of an exhaustive continental perspective on histories of African cities, this is a great beginning."
Journal of World History, Carolyn Vieira-Martinez, Chapman University

This book is comprehensive both in terms of time coverage, from before the Pharaohs to the present moment and in that it tries to consider cities from the entire continent, not just Sub-Saharan Africa. Apart from factual information and rich description material culled from many sources, it looks at many issues from why urban life emerged in the first place to how present-day African cities cope in difficult times. Instead of seeing towns and cities as somehow extraneous to the real Africa, it views them as an inherent part of developing Africa, indigenous, colonial, and post-colonial and emphasizes the extent to which the future of African society and African culture will likely be played out mostly in cities. The book is written to appeal to students of history but equally to geographers, planners, sociologists and development specialists interested in urban problems.

Introduction
1. Urban life emerges in Africa
2. African cities and the emergence of a world trading economy
3. Colonialism and urbanisation
4. Cities in revolt: the long term crisis of South African urbanism
5. The post-colonial African city
6. Globalisation and the African city: Touba, Abidjan, Durban.

Subject Areas: Ethnic minorities & multicultural studies [JFSL1], Urban communities [JFSG], African history [HBJH], History [HB], Regional studies [GTB]