Travels and Discoveries in North and Central Africa 5 Volume Set: Being a Journal of an Expedition Undertaken Under the Auspices of H.B.M.'s Governmen Contributor(s): Barth, Heinrich (Author) |
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ISBN: 1108029485 ISBN-13: 9781108029483 Publisher: Cambridge University Press OUR PRICE: $361.95 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: June 2011 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - History | Africa - General |
Dewey: 960.23 |
Series: Cambridge Library Collection - African Studies |
Physical Information: 5.5" H x 8.1" W x 8.6" (10.30 lbs) 3598 pages |
Themes: - Cultural Region - African |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Born in Hamburg, Henry (Heinrich) Barth (1821-1865) studied history, archaeology, geography and Arabic. He joined James Richardson's 1849 expedition to Africa, which aimed to open the interior to trade and to study slavery. Following the deaths of Richardson (1851) and his colleague Overweg (1852), Barth led the expedition alone. His travels extended to Lake Chad in the east, Cameroon in the south and Timbuktu in the west. He was the first European to use the oral traditions of the local tribes for historical research, learning several African languages, and studying the history, resources, geography and civilisations of the people he encountered. The five volumes of Travels and Discoveries include plates, engravings and detailed annotated maps. This fascinating record of a groundbreaking expedition was published in both English and German in 1857-1858, and is still regarded as a major source on African culture. |