History of African Civilization

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E. Jefferson Murphy, Ph.D., wrote History of African Civilization for the general reader as an overview of the African continent. It was published by Thomas Y. Crowell Company in 1972, and later that same year in paperback by Dell Books. Hollis Lynch, Professor Emeritus of African History at Columbia University, wrote the introduction to the paperback edition. In 1981, it was translated into Romanian and published as a two-volume paperback by Biblioteca Pentru Toti.

Though intended for the general reader, the book later proved popular as a textbook for introductory courses on African history at a number of universities, so that its sales continued briskly for several years.

Dr. Murphy prepared original illustrative maps for the book, showing major sub-Saharan states and kingdoms at several periods of African history. These maps, along with a number of archival photographs and drawings, added significant interest to the book for most readers.

Beginning with a survey of Paleontological discoveries on the origin of mankind in Africa, History of African Civilization sketches the numerous pre-historic migrations of Africans to populate the entire continent south of the Sahara desert, as well as into parts of the desert. Evidence of these migrations was gathered from linguistic, archeological, and ethno-botanical studies, and other areas of scientific inquiry, as well as classical Arabic accounts of travels by famous Arabic scholars. These ancillary sources have proved essential to the creation of a panoramic survey of Africa's history, because writing was a relatively recent development on most parts of the continent.

Dr. Murphy has also written Understanding Africa (1969 & 1980), which was written for younger readers and the general public; The Bantu Civilization of Southern Africa (1974), also for the general reader; and Creative Philanthrophy: Carnegie Corporation and Africa 1953-1973 (1975). He also co-authored, with Harry Stein, Teaching Africa Today, (1973) a handbook for American social studies teachers.

As of 2006, all Murphy's books are out of print, but are readily available through used book dealers, including Amazon.com.