Born in Blackness

Africa, Africans, and the Making of the Modern World, 1471 to the Second World War

By: Howard W. French

Narrated by: James Fouhey

Traditional accounts of the making of the modern world afford a place of primacy to European history. Some credit the fifteenth-century Age of Discovery and the maritime connection it established between West and East; others the accidental unearthing of the "New World." Still others point to the development of the scientific method, or the spread of Judeo-Christian beliefs; and so on, ad infinitum. The history of Africa, by contrast, has long been relegated to the remote outskirts of our global story. What if, instead, we put Africa and Africans at the very center of our thinking about the origins of modernity?

In a sweeping narrative spanning more than six centuries, Howard W. French does just that, for Born in Blackness vitally reframes the story of medieval and emerging Africa, demonstrating how the economic ascendancy of Europe, the anchoring of democracy in the West, and the fulfillment of so-called Enlightenment ideals all grew out of Europe's dehumanizing engagement with the "dark" continent. In fact, French reveals, the first impetus for the Age of Discovery was not—as we are so often told, even today—Europe's yearning for ties with Asia, but rather its centuries-old desire to forge a trade in gold with legendarily rich Black societies sequestered away in the heart of West Africa.

©2021 Howard W. French (P)2022 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Remembering the forgotten

Excellent book providing a really good history of the world’s forgotten. Recommended highly to anyone who wants a complete understanding of the world history.

Great book of a history not well known

The in depth history is amazing and the knowledge shared opens your mind to a better understanding of what we see today. How did we get here and that if we desire we can get to a better place.

Impressive

This reshapes the way we view modern history, and the impact of the slave trade.

Wow

A story worth telling, and it captivates you. It is worth the time to listen.

Outstanding Work!

This is an outstanding work of scholarship fueled by strong journalistic historical investigation! Truly enjoyed this work and highly recommend.