Oliver's well-researched biography of Mansa Musa reads like an exotic tale of gold, glory, and adventure. During his long reign as Mali's emperor, Mansa Musa led his empire into its Golden Age; presided over a spectacular, 60,000 person, 9,000 mile pilgrimage; founded a university in Timbuktu; and helped revolutionize architecture across the Sudan. Oliver does not allow Musa's story to get bogged down in detail by seamlessly weaving a lot of history into his narrative and by supplying curious readers with an extensive Glossary.

Many of the African ancestors of today's African-Americans came from West Africa. From 700 -- 1600 A. D., one after the other, three great, black, commercial empires dominated West Africa. They were powerful, prosperous, complex, stable -- and large. At its height, the Empire of Mali was the size of all of Western Europe.

Well-crafted and fast paced, Oliver's book is enhanced by a liberal sprinkling of enjoyable drawings, clear and helpful maps, and interesting photos. Not only are Mansa Musa's triumphs and dilemmas clearly portrayed, but so are the lives of the people of medieval Mali.

Mansa Musa and the Empire of Mali

"The Healing Drum" traces the extraordinary cultural legacy of the Minianka tribe of West Africa, for whom music serves a sacred, healing function for the individual and society. The authors explore the Minianka view of humanity, music, and the cosmos relative to work, celebration, herbal medicine, dance, trance, initiation, and death. 
The first book of its kind, delivering a message of untapped wisdom and power from a little-known culture through the universal medium of music.

The Healing Drum: African Wisdom Teachings

For more than a thousand years, from A.D. 500 to 1700, the medieval kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay grew rich on the gold, salt, and slave trade that stretched across Africa. Scraping away hundreds of years of ignorance, prejudice, and mythology, award-winnnig authors Patricia and Fredrick McKissack reveal the glory of these forgotten empires while inviting us to share in the inspiring process of historical recovery that is taking place today.

The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay: Life in Medieval Africa

Ancient Africa: A Captivating Guide to Ancient African Civilizations, Such as the Kingdom of Kush, the Land of Punt, Carthage, the Kingdom of Aksum, and the Mali Empire with its Timbuktu

Djelimady Tounkara is only one of the memorable people you will meet in this dramatic narrative of life among the griot musicians of Mali. Born into families where music and the tradition of griot story-telling is a heritage and a privilege, Djelimady and his fellow griots -- both men and women -- live their lives at the intersection of ancient traditions and the modern entertainment industry. During the seven months he spent living and studying with Djelimady, Banning Eyre immersed himself in a world that will fascinate you as it did him.Eyre creates a range of unforgettable portraits. Some of the people who stride through his pages are internationally known, musicians like Salif Keita, Oumou Sangare, and Grammy winner Ali Farka Toure. But the lesser-known characters are equally fascinating: Adama Kouyate, Djelimady's dynamic wife; Moussa Kouyate, the Tounkara family's own griot; Yayi Kanoute, the flamboyant jelimuso (female griot) who failed to take America by storm; Foutanga Babani Sissoko, the mysterious millionaire who rebuilt an entire town and whose patronage is much sought after by the griots of Bamako.

But the picture Eyre draws is not just a series of portraits. Out of their interactions comes a perceptive panorama of life in Mali in the late twentieth century. The narrative gives us a street-level view of the transformation of musical taste and social customs, the impact of technology and the pressures of poverty, at a crucial time in Mali's history. In individual after individual, family after family, we see the subtle conflicts of heritage and change. Even the complications of democracy -- with democracy, mango vendors think they can charge anything they want,Djelimady points out -- are woven into an unforgettable saga of one man, his family, his profession, and the world of Malian music.

In Griot Time

The year is 1797, and the kingdom of Segu is flourishing, fed by the wealth of its noblemen and the power of its warriors. The people of Segu, the Bambara, are guided by their griots and priests; their lives are ruled by the elements. But even their soothsayers can only hint at the changes to come, for the battle of the soul of Africa has begun. From the east comes a new religion, Islam, and from the West, the slave trade. "Segu" follows the life of Dousika Traore, the king’s most trusted advisor, and his four sons, whose fates embody the forces tearing at the fabric of the nation. There is Tiekoro, who renounces his people’s religion and embraces Islam; Siga, who defends tradition, but becomes a merchant; Naba, who is kidnapped by slave traders; and Malobali, who becomes a mercenary and halfhearted Christian.

Based on actual events, "Segu"transports the reader to a fascinating time in history, capturing the earthy spirituality, religious fervor, and violent nature of a people and a growing nation trying to cope with jihads, national rivalries, racism, amid the vagaries of commerce.

Segu (Ségou, #1)

Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali

In January 2013, France intervened in its former African colony, Mali, to stop an Al Qa'ida advance on the capital. French special forces, warplanes, and army units struck with rapid and unexpected force. Their intervention quickly repelled the jihadist advance and soon the terrorists had been chased from their safe haven in Mali's desolate North - an impressive accomplishment. Although there have been many books on the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are almost none on the recent military interventions of America's allies. Because it was quick, effective, and relatively low cost, the story contains valuable lessons for future strategy. Based on exclusive interviews with high-level civilian and military officials in Paris, Washington and Bamako, this book offers a fast-paced, concise, strategic overview of this war. As terrorist groups proliferate across North Africa, what France accomplished in Mali should be a key reference point for national security experts.

The French War on Al Qa'ida in Africa

Join Carole P. Roman and travel through time to visit the most interesting civilizations throughout history in her exciting new series. 
 
Learn what kind of food you might eat in Ancient China, what colors could only be worn by royalty, what kind of names parents picked, and what children in the Han Dynasty children did for fun. 
 
If You Were Me and Lived in... does for history what her other award-winning series did for culture. 
 
So get onboard this time-travel machine and discover the world through the eyes of a young person just like you.

If You Were Me and Lived in... Ancient China: The Han Dynasty - An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time

Originally published in 1983, this book deals with the precolonial history of the Islamic West African city of Timbuktu. The book traces the fortunes of this fabled city from its origins in the twelfth century, and more especially from around 1400 onwards, to the French conquest in the late nineteenth century. The study rests upon a comprehensive utilisation of the Timbuktu sources, including the well-known chronicles or tarikhs of Timbuktu. The author focuses on the role of scholars and, in so doing, he provides a fresh study of a learned community in sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, the study shows that the scholars occupied a position of leadership and authority in the social structure of the city. Hence, in providing fuller understanding of the role of scholars and their status as 'notables', the work makes it possible to understand the enigma which has surrounded this extraordinary city throughout its history. It contributes an important perspective for historians of Africa, the Middle East and Islam.

Social History of Timbuktu: The Role of Muslim Scholars and Notables 1400-1900

Le lieutenant de Kouta

Ancient Ghana And Mali

Mansa Musa: A Captivating Guide to the Emperor of the Islamic Mali Empire in West Africa and How He Developed Timbuktu into a Major Center for Trade


  From the award-winning author of 
  
    "Quicksand"
  
  , a gripping legal thriller that follows one woman's conflicted efforts to overturn what may be a wrongful conviction. 


I'm giving you a chance to achieve every lawyer's dream, said Sophia Weber's old professor. Freeing an innocent man.

Thirteen years ago, a fifteen-year-old girl was murdered. Doctor Stig Ahlin was sentenced to life in prison. But no one has forgotten the brutal crime. Ahlin is known as one of the most ruthless criminals.

When Sophia Weber discovers critical flaws in the murder investigation, she decides to help Ahlin. But Sophia's doing her utmost to get her client exonerated arouses many people's disgust. And the more she learns, the more difficult her job becomes. What kind of man is her client really? What has he done? And will she ever know the truth?

Beyond All Reasonable Doubt

Warriors, Merchants, And Slaves: The State And The Economy In The Middle Niger Valley, 1700 1914

This outstanding series provides concise and lively introductions to countries and the major development issues they face. Packed full of factual information, photographs and maps, the guides also focus on ordinary people and the impact that historical, economic and environmental issues have on their lives.

Mali: A Prospect of Peace?

Historical Dictionary of Mali (African Historical Dictionaries, No 11)

The enigmatic ranger and the silent rogue are masters of the hunt, whether after a hated enemy or in pursuit of profit. Their subtle abilities, whether used for ends noble or foul (or something in between), are often indispensable. This is the fourth sourcebook in the essential Player's Guide Series from Sward &amp; Sorcery Studios, detailing the strengths and abilities of rangers and rogues.

Players Guide to Rangers and Rogues: A Core Sourcebook for Revised 3rd Edition Fantasy Roleplaying

The heroic legends decribed here, re-create the events and annals of the kingdom of Segu and of the Bambara tribe that formed a series of important city-states along the Niger River during the 17th century.

Heart of the Ngoni: Heroes of the African Kingdom of Segu

..". finely crafted scholarship. Elegant and graceful, yet packed with knowledge and information, it embodies the aesthetic qualities which it describes and explores." --American Ethnologist

"The text is detailed and informative, and enjoyable reading... " --Choice

"The Mande Blacksmith is an important book... sensitive, sympathetic, multifaceted, and thorough... " --African Arts

"McNaughton's Mande Blacksmiths is undeniably the most profound study of African artists yet published." --Ethnoarts

..". penetrating... McNaughton boldly grapples with the thorniest issues related to his subject and articulates them with clarity and precision." --International Journal of African Historical Studies

..". a work in the best tradition of ethnographic research.... critical reappraisal, innovative inquiry, and fresh observation... make this book an invaluable fund of new material on Mande societies... " --American Anthropologist

"McNaughton... provides an important interpretation of these artists' conceptual place as members of a complex culture." --Religious Studies Review

Examining the artistic, technological, social, and spiritual dimensions of Mande blacksmiths, who are the sculptors of their society, McNaughton defines these artists' conceptual place as extraordinary members of a complex culture.

The Mande Blacksmiths: Knowledge, Power, and Art in West Africa

This report examines the prospects for stabilization in Mali following the political and military crisis that began in 2012. To this end, it examines Mali s peace settlements since the early 1990s to identify flaws and successes. The report also explores whether Mali s neighbor Niger owes its current stability to a more favorable context, shrewd policies, or sheer luck, and whether it might offer a model of resilience for Mali."

Achieving Peace in Northern Mali: Past Agreements, Local Conflicts, and the Prospects for a Durable Settlement

The Sahara: a dream-like, far away landscape of "Lawrence of Arabia" and Wilfred Thesiger, "The English Patient "and "Star Wars", and home to nomadic communities whose ways of life stretch back millennia. Today it's a teeth-janglingly dangerous destination, where the threat of jihadists lurks just over the horizon. Following in the footsteps of 16th century traveller Leo Africanus, Nicholas Jubber went on a turbulent adventure to the forgotten places of North Africa and the legendary Timbuktu.

Once the seat of African civilization and home to the richest man who ever lived, this mythic city is now scarred by terrorist occupation and is so remote its own inhabitants hail you with the greeting, "Welcome to the middle of nowhere." 

From the cattle markets of the Atlas, across the Western Sahara and up the Niger river, Nicholas joins the camps of the Tuareg, Fulani, Berbers, and other communities, to learn about their craft, their values and their place in the world.

"The Timbuktu School for Nomads" is a unique look at a resilient city and how the nomads pit ancient ways of life against the challenges of the 21st century.

The Timbuktu School for Nomads: Across the Sahara in the Shadow of Jihad

Griots at War
Conflict, Conciliation, and Caste in Mande
Barbara G. Hoffman

An extraordinary account of conflict and peacemaking among griots.

... a compelling study of how social identities and relationships are constructed and reconstructed through action, specifically through speech.... The book succeeds marvelously in conveying the voice of the people who are, in every sense of the word, its subject. -- Robert Launay

In 1985, while she was an apprentice griot or jelimuso, Barbara G. Hoffman saw and recorded a remarkable event in the small town of Kita, Mali. For four days, thousands of griots from all parts of the Mande world gathered to talk, sing, and make music in celebration of the opening of the new Hall of Griots and the installation of the recently named Head Griot. This unprecedented assembly also marked the end of a deadly two-year conflict fought with griot weapons -- words, reputations, and sorcery. Hoffman captures griots making speeches, singing songs of praise, and dancing in honor of their restored unity. Her discerning interpretations of the speeches not only explore the art of griot oratory but show how the use of history, metaphor, religion, proverbs, and praise can mend a community torn apart by war. The speeches, often marked by a keen edge, also reveal what it means to be a griot in a casted society and to demand that other castes recognize and respect this unique identity. The griot's formidable linguistic abilities come to the fore as they negotiate, reestablish, and assert their cultural power. This exceptional book, including generous extracts from the griots' speeches in Mande and in translation, offers surprising and important insights into the multiple meanings of Mande culture, caste, and identity.

Barbara G. Hoffman is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Cleveland State University. She is author of many essays on Mande culture and producer of ethnographic videos on East and West African cultures. She is known to the Mande griot community as Jeli Jeneba Jabate.

Contents 
Prologue: An Invitation to War
Power and Paradox: Griots and Mande Social Organization
In the Hands of Speech: Mande Discourse
A History of Fadenya: Interpretations of the Kita Griot War
Making Boundaries: When Griots Speak before Nobles
Breaking Boundaries: When Nobles Speak before Griots
The Healer Who Is Ill Must Swallow His Own Saliva: When Griots Speak to Griots
Caste, Mande Style
Epilogue: A Wound Cannot Heal on Pus

Griots at War: Conflict, Conciliation, and Caste in Mande

You don't need a classroom to be a teacher, and you don't need to be a teacher to help someone learn a lesson. Taylor Mali's poetry explores this truth in entertaining and plainspoken ways because "the last thing this world needs is another poem" ("The Call to What We Know"). Whether discussing the language of love or the love of language, the poems contained in The Last Time As We Are prove that "He who dares to teach must never cease to learn."

The Last Time as We Are

Beginning about 1200 CE, the Mali, Songhay, and Ghana empires spread their sequential influence across the western horn of Africa, making advances in trade, language, culture, and economy. Influenced heavily by Islam in their later periods, these empires flourished and grew under a series of powerful leaders, including one, Mansa Musa, whose skills were celebrated in European capitals. Empires of Medieval West Africa, Revised Edition discusses the vital role salt and other natural resources played in the development of the empires, the rich and diverse cultures, and the influence of the growing Islamic Empire on every day life. Included are some transcriptions of the oral tradition that is, in many cases, the only record of the deeds and achievements of these peoples. Connections to life today include the continuing impact of Islam and tribal groups in today's Africa and the influence of the medieval traditions on modern music and cuisine.

Empires of Medieval West Africa: Ghana, Mali, and Songhay

A pillar of the West African oral tradition for centuries, this epic traces the adventures and achievements of the Mande hero, Sunjata, as he liberates his people from Sumaworo Kante, the sorcerer king of Soso, and establishes the great medieval empire of Mali.

David Conrad conveys the strong narrative thrust of the Sunjata epic in his presentation of substantial excerpts from his translation of a performance by Djanka Tassey Conde. Readers approaching the epic for the first time will appreciate the translation's highly readable, poetic English as well as Conrad's informative Introduction and notes. Scholars will find the familiar heroes and heroines taking on new dimensions, secondary characters gaining increased prominence, and previously unknown figures emerging from obscurity.

Mali

Mansa Musa and the Empire of Mali

P. James Oliver

The Healing Drum: African Wisdom Teachings

Yaya Diallo

The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay: Life in Medieval Africa

Patricia C. McKissack

Ancient Africa: A Captivating Guide to Ancient African Civilizations, Such as the Kingdom of Kush, the Land of Punt, Carthage, the Kingdom of Aksum, and the Mali Empire with its Timbuktu

Captivating History

In Griot Time

Banning Eyre

Segu (Ségou, #1)

Maryse Condé

Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali

Kris Holloway

The French War on Al Qa'ida in Africa

Christopher S. Chivvis

If You Were Me and Lived in... Ancient China: The Han Dynasty - An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time

Carole P. Roman

Social History of Timbuktu: The Role of Muslim Scholars and Notables 1400-1900

Elias Saad

Le lieutenant de Kouta

Massa Makan Diabaté

Ancient Ghana And Mali

Nehemia Levtzion

Mansa Musa: A Captivating Guide to the Emperor of the Islamic Mali Empire in West Africa and How He Developed Timbuktu into a Major Center for Trade

Captivating History

Beyond All Reasonable Doubt

Malin Persson Giolito

Warriors, Merchants, And Slaves: The State And The Economy In The Middle Niger Valley, 1700 1914

Richard Lee Roberts

Mali: A Prospect of Peace?

Charlie Pye-Smith

Historical Dictionary of Mali (African Historical Dictionaries, No 11)

Pascal James Imperato

Players Guide to Rangers and Rogues: A Core Sourcebook for Revised 3rd Edition Fantasy Roleplaying

James Maliszewski

Heart of the Ngoni: Heroes of the African Kingdom of Segu

Harold Courlander

The Mande Blacksmiths: Knowledge, Power, and Art in West Africa

Patrick R. McNaughton

Achieving Peace in Northern Mali: Past Agreements, Local Conflicts, and the Prospects for a Durable Settlement

Stephanie Pezard

The Timbuktu School for Nomads: Across the Sahara in the Shadow of Jihad

Nicholas Jubber

Griots at War: Conflict, Conciliation, and Caste in Mande

Barbara Hoffman

Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali

Kris Holloway

The Last Time as We Are

Taylor Mali

Empires of Medieval West Africa: Ghana, Mali, and Songhay

David C. Conrad

Sunjata: A West African Epic of the Mande Peoples

Anonymous