UNESCO General History of Africa is now a free download

Please note: this link has changed–UNESCO’s new URL for the online books has been updated and leads to a new page.

The UNESCO General History of Africa eight volume set is now available as a free download from the organization website:

This groundbreaking work was the first of its type to present the entire history of the African continent. The collection sheds light on the pre-colonial era and interweaves Africa’s destiny with the rest of humanity’s, examining its interaction with other continents and the role of Africans in the dialogue between civilizations. The entire collection is currently published in eight volumes, but the revised site indicates that a new, ninth updated volume is now in preparation:

• Volume I – Methodology and African Prehistory
• Volume II – Ancient Civilizations of Africa
• Volume III – Africa from the Seventh to the Eleventh Century
• Volume IV – Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century
• Volume V – Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century
• Volume VI – Africa in the Nineteenth Century until the 1880s
• Volume VII – Africa under Colonial Domination 1880-1935
• Volume VIII – Africa since 1935

Individual volumes are available in multiple languages, including (variously) Arabic, Fulfulde, Hausa, Portuguese, Pulaar, and Swahili (see individual volumes for specific availability: Pulaar and Hausa are listed as “coming soon” for several volumes).

Tags: Digital Collections, History, Open Access, Research, Resources