They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America (Journal of African Civilizations)

Enjoying the book, the price was very good, most important i think its written very well With truths and facts,

What a Fantastic read Such knowledge

It’s for my granddaughters library.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book, to everyone. It is very interesting and informative. A good introduction for those who are interested in the history of Black Africans prior to slavery. It's a good starting point for lots of different areas of further reading including, linguistics, ancient history, Egyptology, archaeology from the standpoint of Black Africans. The underlying theme is that there is evidence of the presence of Black Africans in the Americas prior to Columbus. This is the type of history that should be focused on during so called Black History month. I do not find this book revisionist unlike some of those that have given this book a negative review. I also do not think that the author is disrespectful to the Native American populations. In fact, I find his discussion to be quite balanced. His key message is clearly that there was an African influence on the Native American populations, not that the Africans came and taught the Natives everything they new. The author concludes by stating that all cultures and people as we know them are a melange of different cultures and people. The evidence is there, and Van Sertima presents this evidence. Why is it so hard for some people (i.e. the negative reviewers) to have a discussion about the African race without getting emotional and upset about it? It is 2020, and African/Black influence on all other cultures is still thriving (ref. cultural appropriation anyone?): dress, hair, music, religion, the way we speak, food, the way we walk, the way we dance, the way we sing etc. etc. so why is it so hard for people to believe the influence of Blacks on other cultures in the ancient period? Why are you so offended?

You cannot learn everything in school! The educational institutions are established to give everyone in that society, nation, and/or empire; a standard education. So, if you travel or move to another district, to another city, or to another nation; all of the education officials will know exactly what you learned, and will value your education, your certificate, and your diploma. I understand this. I got the, 'sailing bug', for four years, from 2005-2008. I discovered that maritime history is not taught in the United Sates educational system. We won the American Revolution because the American sailors in the northeast, called privateers, captured the British ships and gave their weapons to George Washington and The Continental Congress. We won the War of 1812 because of the battles that our ships fought in the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River, and the Great Lakes. This is also not taught in school. You should also read a book called, 'COD' (as in codfish). A growing British colony had to feed itself and its sailors, and had to trade for its goods and supplies. The unbelievable information in this book, 'COD', is about how the northern colonies used a fish to become an economic powerhouse. This information is also not taught in school. I went on vacation in 2009. My travel agent, in our historical discussions, told me that there has always been global trade, that there has always been globalizaton. But I realized that our educational system primarily focuses on Western civilization and the northern hemisphere; which is OK. The book of this review, 'They came before Columbus', is about a larger, unwritten, aspect of globalization, international trade, and the influence of the Africian empires on the people of the Western hemisphere. This realization is absolutely fabulous! It is always wonderful to find out how disciplined, intelligent, and creative, Africian people were, outside of our own historical and educational, 'perspective'; and how the Africian empires used their abilities to summon resources, to travel, to explore, and to teach other people, who lived far distances from the center of their own empire. Keep up the good work. This is a fabulous book! Take care. Abdullah.

Cant tell much yet since i just started reading but already like it

Factual excellent read

Great knowledge!

Sehr gut

Ce livre est une des références concernant les peuples noirs de l'antiquité et leur apport civilisationnel aux amérindiens d'Amérique centrale et du sud.

O livro está em perfeito estado. Traz informações sobre a influência africana na arte e cultura da América do Sul.

The information in this book is an interesting and informative read for individuals seeking not solely an Afro perspective but a HISTORICAL perspective that answered the quuestion " Did African people make the journey to the Americas before Columbus ?.....SPOILER ALERT......LOOK AT THE TITLE!!

Van Sertima will never disappoint.