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History

On its own terms

History from a winding African road
by Emma Christopher
September 2025, no. 479

The African Revolution: A history of the long nineteenth century by Richard Reid

Princeton University Press, $59.99 hb, 432 pp

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Richard Reid’s tour de force begins with the story of a single road that ‘ran from the Indian Ocean coast, ascending the lightly wooded, elevated plateau of central-east Africa, through the small but perfectly positioned chiefdom of Unyanyembe, and then onward to the west until it reached Lake Tanganyika’.

 


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The African Revolution: A history of the long nineteenth century by Richard Reid

Princeton University Press, $59.99 hb, 432 pp

ABR receives a commission on items purchased through this link. All ABR reviews are fully independent.


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