Motherland: A Journey through 500,000 Years of African Culture and Identity
By Luke Pepera
Pegasus Books
ISBN: 978-1-63936-883-9
A sweeping exploration of pre-modern African history, this book traces the continent’s cultures, migrations, and identities. It blends rigorous research with personal reflection to highlight Africa’s global influence and enduring legacy.
Excerpt:
So, I settled on a thematic approach for the book. Each of its ten chapters focuses on a cultural or historical aspect that has been and continues to be integral to African identity. These include ancestral veneration, music, dancing, oral histories and storytelling, as well as resource wealth, migration, the Transatlantic Slave Trade and racism.
Who is this book for?
Content on the medieval period appears throughout the book, interwoven with ancient and early modern history. It will appeal to readers seeking an accessible introduction to Africa’s past, especially those interested in the life and legacy of Mansa Musa.
“Construing “Africa” broadly, Pepera’s thematic chapters show African and African diasporic identities as interwoven and persistent. His descriptive skill brings research from historical and ethnographic sources into conversation with contemporary examples, vividly showing that for Africans, the past and their ancestors’ past achievements infuse the quotidian present.” ~ review in Kirkus
The Author
Luke Pepera is a writer, broadcaster, historian and anthropologist specialising in Africa. You can follow him on Instagram and X/Twitter @lukepepera
Motherland: A Journey through 500,000 Years of African Culture and Identity
By Luke Pepera
Pegasus Books
ISBN: 978-1-63936-883-9
A sweeping exploration of pre-modern African history, this book traces the continent’s cultures, migrations, and identities. It blends rigorous research with personal reflection to highlight Africa’s global influence and enduring legacy.
Excerpt:
So, I settled on a thematic approach for the book. Each of its ten chapters focuses on a cultural or historical aspect that has been and continues to be integral to African identity. These include ancestral veneration, music, dancing, oral histories and storytelling, as well as resource wealth, migration, the Transatlantic Slave Trade and racism.
Who is this book for?
Content on the medieval period appears throughout the book, interwoven with ancient and early modern history. It will appeal to readers seeking an accessible introduction to Africa’s past, especially those interested in the life and legacy of Mansa Musa.
“Construing “Africa” broadly, Pepera’s thematic chapters show African and African diasporic identities as interwoven and persistent. His descriptive skill brings research from historical and ethnographic sources into conversation with contemporary examples, vividly showing that for Africans, the past and their ancestors’ past achievements infuse the quotidian present.” ~ review in Kirkus
The Author
Luke Pepera is a writer, broadcaster, historian and anthropologist specialising in Africa. You can follow him on Instagram and X/Twitter @lukepepera
Check out his interview on The Medieval Podcast
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
You can buy this book on Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
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