The World and a Very Small Place in Africa / Edition 3

by Donald R. Wright

Overview

Niumi, a small, little-known territory located on the bank of the Gambia River in West Africa, is seemingly far from the reaches of world historical events. And yet the outside world has long had a significant - and increasingly profound - impact on Niumi. This fascinating work shows how global events have affected people's lives over the past eight centuries in this small region in Africa's smallest country. Drawing on written and oral testimony, and writing in a clear and personal style, Donald R. Wright connects 'globalization' with real people in a real place. This new edition updates discussions of global history and African history based on current studies and new developments that have been factored into the interpretive framework. Reflecting on recent visits to Niumi, Wright extends the story into 2009, to consider the impact of global recession and domestic political repression under a regime in power for the past fifteen years. Punctuating the narrative are photographs, maps, and 'Perspectives' boxes on selected topics such as the sale of slaves five centuries ago, colonial sexism, the fate of press freedom, and how popular culture affects growing up in a traditional society. Throughout, the author deals with African history seriously, global trends critically, and human lives sensitively.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765624840
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/15/2010
Series:	Sources and Studies in World History Series
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

Table of Contents

Part I. Background, Before A.D. 1446; 1. The Global Setting for Niumi's History, Before A.D. 1446; 2. Niumi in a Restructuring World System, Before A.D. 1446; Part II. The Precolonial Period, 1446-1816; 3. Niumi Between Two Systems: Waxing Atlantic Trade, Continuing Sudanic Trade, 1446-1600; 4. Niumi at the Height of the Atlantic Complex, Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries; Part III. The Colonial Period, 1816-1965; 5. A Time of Transition in Niumi, 1816-1897; 6. Niumi as Part of the Gambia Colony and Protectorate, 1897-1965; Part IV. The Postcolonial Period: Independence or In Dependence? 1965-2003; 7. Independent Niumi in the First Republic of The Gambia, 1965-1994; 8. Niumi in the Recent Wave of Globalization: The Second Republic, 1994-2009.

Editorial Reviews

Wright (history, SUNY) blends detailed local history with global systems theory to illuminate the changing economic and political fortunes of a small group of people in Niumi, a small area at the mouth of the Gambia river in West Africa (now called The Gambia). Over a period of 450 years, Niumi has increasingly merged with ever-wider economies. Wright traces how the state adapted over time to both opportunity and exploitation. As Niumi was the homeland of the central character in Alex Haley's Roots, the book may find a wider readership than most academic studies. Recommended for larger public and academic libraries.-Bill Rau, Takoma Park, Md.

Library Journal