Rogues gallery alert. A comprehensive, journalistic general history of Africa. More readable than the Mazrui-edited Unesco general history or the Cambridge general histories of Africa, less impressionistic than Kapuscinski’s journalistic sketches, this is a good book on Africa. I’m glad someone has written it. It’s a valuable book that will be referenced for years. Did I say comprehensive? Yep. 700 pages worth. Stories and sketches filling out the actions of the main characters. He’s a good storyteller and you get a full spectrum of stories.