The African City: A History

by Bill Freund

This book is comprehensive both in terms of time coverage, from before the Pharaohs to the present moment and in that it tries to consider cities from the entire continent, not just Sub-Saharan Africa. Apart from factual information and rich description material culled from many sources, it looks at many issues from why urban life emerged in the first place to how present-day African cities cope in difficult times. Instead of seeing towns and cities as somehow extraneous to the real Africa, it views them as an inherent part of developing Africa, indigenous, colonial, and post-colonial and emphasizes the extent to which the future of African society and African culture will likely be played out mostly in cities. The book is written to appeal to students of history but equally to geographers, planners, sociologists and development specialists interested in urban problems.

Genres: Africa, History, Nonfiction

226 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2007

Reviews

[Takkusaan Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to the history of the rich urban past of the African continent. For anyone who is not familiar with the topic it's a real eye-opener, strongly recommended.

[Carolyn Vieira-Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the final two chapters the book turns from historical research to the social sciences, analyzing the past, present and future of African cities. According to Freund the hope that urban development will be a “modernizing” influence on Africa has “faded painfully” (142). Administrative centers grew fastest after independence, evidence of the pivotal economics of bureaucracy in some cases, and the continued military insecurity of rural areas in others. Urban economies failed, and Africans straddling life between the rural and urban did so out of despair rather than innovation. And yet, more recent “post-modern” literature has brought to light new creativity in new forms, reminiscent of the constructive force of destruction alluded to in earlier chapters (143). Ultimately Freund turns to the micro studies of Touba, Abidjan and Durban in the sixth chapter to identify something optimistic and substantive in the history of African cities.
The strengths of The African City naturally stem from the strengths of its author, and his important contributions to the study of urban life in South Africa. For the non-specialist the book offers an excellent and timely review of past and continuing debates. For the uninitiated student, it creates an accessible introduction to several views into urban Africa. For the reader in search of an exhaustive continental perspective on histories of African cities, this is a great beginning.