Books by John Thornton
“John Thornton has written several important books about Angola, including The Kongolese Saint Anthony (1998). The reason why I selected A History of West Central Africa is that it is a survey text, giving unity to different parts of this region that tend to be studied in isolation. Rather than focusing on a single African state, or solely on the colony of Angola, Thornton summarizes the scholarship into a single volume, making this history accessible for people who do not have the time or energy to read ten or twenty different books about West Central Africa…This book covers the political history of the territory that we call Angola nowadays. It examines relationships between the different populations that lived there, from the 15th century to the mid-19th century. Thornton’s book encompasses the period of contact with Europeans, the expansion of the transatlantic slave trade, and the effects of abolition. It combines decades of research, writing and reflection about the region. It is an important title to anyone trying to familiarize themselves with the political organization and populations of Angola.” Read more...
The best books on The History of Angola (pre-20th century)
Mariana Candido, Historian
Interviews where books by John Thornton were recommended
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1
Njinga of Angola: Africa’s Warrior Queen
by Linda Heywood -
2
Cross-Cultural Exchange in the Atlantic World: Angola and Brazil during the Era of the Slave Trade
by Roquinaldo Ferreira -
3
Slave Trade and Abolition: Gender, Commerce, and Economic Transition in Luanda
by Vanessa Oliveira -
4
Lourenço da Silva Mendonça and the Black Atlantic Abolitionist Movement in the 17th Century
by José Lingna Nafafé -
5
A History of West Central Africa to 1850
by John Thornton
The best books on The History of Angola (pre-20th century), recommended by Mariana Candido
The best books on The History of Angola (pre-20th century), recommended by Mariana Candido
West Central Africa was involved in the transatlantic slave trade from its inception in the fifteenth century until it ended in the late nineteenth century. It’s the region that lost the largest number of enslaved people to the transatlantic slave trade, with over 5.6 million people taken away. And yet Angola, where three of the five main slaving ports were located, is little studied in English. Here, Mariana Candido, a professor at Emory University, introduces us to some of the best books (available in English) on this era of Angolan history, from the biography of one ruler, Njinga Mbandi, to a survey of the entire period.
