A groundbreaking history that puts early and medieval West Africa in a global context Pick up almost any book on early and medieval world history and empire, an

A thought-provoking reappraisal of the first European encounters with Africa As early as 1441, and well before other European countries encountered Africa, smal

Captures the essential political, cultural, social, and economic developments that shaped the black experience.

In a radically new account of the importance of early Africa in global history, Gomez traces how Islam's growth in West Africa, along with intensifying commerce

Sweet Revenge? When two senseless killings hit close to home, columnist Clarence Abernathy seeks revenge for the murders—and, ultimately, answers to his own s