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

FANTASTIC book on so many ways. It is far more than I expected after hearing about it for many years ny many authors. It helped me connect so many dots from so many of my diverse interests. I particularly liked the sections of historically based fiction such as the Mariner Prince of Mali and the mentions of African women in the pre-Columbus Americas too. Fabulous research powerful in its reinforcement over time and fields. Copious readable footnotes too.

It’s for my granddaughters library.

Great knowledge!

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

Factual excellent read

I heard about this book on facebook from a black forum. So I decided to search for this book on Amazon and found it. In essence, I read all the reviews on here. Of which, I was blown away by all the positive reviews. And from reading the reviews and scanning my brain at the same time. I got to thinking this all makes so much sense. And tons of questions were flowing in my brain like the speed of light. Questions like why wouldn't the Africans, who were advanced for their time of age. Explore and travel to the America's hundreds of years before Columbus. We all know that it is evident that the Africans are the oldest race that has been around. Moreover, they are the gene that made me who I am. In being said, I decided to purchase this book Asap, and therefore I'm so excited to read this book, and can't wait for my book to come in.

What a Fantastic read Such knowledge

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?

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.