As a teacher of African history since 1995, and a teacher of teachers, I can attest to the need for this book. The vast majority of people who teach secondary school history have had little or no formal instruction on the history of Africa. Thus, if such a teacher wished to deepen their engagement with African history in their own classes, they would be facing a daunting challenge trying to manage their crowded instructional schedule and their lack of knowledge about the continent, to get up to speed. This book is invaluable for helping the time-pressed instructor know where to start. Each of the short chapters gives a clear, accessible narrative overview of the key elements of the history for that theme and time, and offers valuable starting points for discussion topics, essential questions around which to structure lessons, and go-to internet and book sources for further reading.

Wendy Urban-Mead, Associate Professor of History, The Master of Arts in Teaching Program, Bard College and The Bard Prison Initiative