Review by Choice Review
Notable for its large format and attractive design, illustrated with an extensive array of maps, primary source prints and drawings, and contemporary photographs, this new reference work is a mixed offering with an identity problem. Although well written, it is predominantly a chronological, narrative text and less a reference guide. One questions the designation "atlas." Although maps are numerous, they are less prevalent than other graphic illustrations. The narrative text is undocumented, leaving the questioning reader no recourse to the original, fuller treatments from which the author has extracted his summary assertions. A brief "selected bibliography" of current, mostly secondary sources is appended, along with a useful index. The 67 maps are well chosen and clear but often illustrate only the broadest sweep of black history. The atlas plows ground already well cultivated by M.K. Asante and M.T. Mattson's The African American Atlas: Black History and Culture (1998); Arwin D. Smallwood's The Atlas of African American History and Politics: From the Slave Trade to Modern Times (1998); and J.H. Earle's Routledge Atlas of African American History (2000). The latter two are atlases in the conventional sense; libraries that already own these will want to assess the need for duplication. Otherwise, recommended for secondary school or lower-division undergraduate collections. K. Potts California State University--Stanislaus
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
This attractive and informative title about African American history is more or less chronologically arranged. Beginning with a chapter on African history and ending with a chapter on Black America Today that is up to date through 2007, with Barack Obama a presidential candidate, it provides a detailed overview of experiences and events surrounding Americans of African descent. Among the topics and events that are discussed are the Amistad incident, racism following Hurricane Katrina, integration of the armed forces, and the rise of hip-hop. Of course, a work of this size can't be comprehensive. The Tulsa violence of 1921 is described in a text box, but Rosewood and Fort Pillow aren't mentioned. Photos, maps, charts, and graphs are used liberally and usually illustrate the text well. An index and selected bibliography add to the book's usefulness. Kudos to the author for readability and the careful way he posits theories about early civilizations. Writing is clear, and the book is certainly inviting. High-school and college libraries that don't already own the first (2001) edition will want to purchase this for reference or circulating collections.--Gooden, Susan Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Originally published in 2002, this vividly written survey atlas of African American history is a well-illustrated reference work filled with colorful maps, photographs, graphs, and other boxed features. Edited by Ciment (Encyclopedia of the Great Depression and New Deal), this revision consists of eight chapters covering the African American experience chronologically. The last chapter highlights contemporary social, racial, and economic issues that continue to confront the United States, with an emphasis on post-Katrina New Orleans. This current information-a much-needed addition to this revised work-is complemented by new data on the African American middle class after World War II and musical and literary influences since the 1960s. Ciment proposes that the African American experience is about movement, either by enslavement or by choice, a dynamic colorfully illustrated with 73 maps showing the immigration patterns of the African Diaspora from Africa to the Western Hemisphere and afterward. Detailed maps range from the routes of the Underground Railroad to the post-World War I emigration of Southern African Americans to the North and include the raid on Harper's Ferry and the Katrina-ravaged African American sections of New Orleans. The book's currency is further highlighted by biographies of Condoleezza Rice and Barack Obama. BOTTOM LINE This visually appealing reference atlas is complemented by a clearly written text that is admirably balanced in presenting the social, economic, political, and cultural components of African American history. The maps are functional, with appropriate graphics and bullet points for the reader. Highly recommended for high school and public libraries, including those owning the first edition. [Available in print only.]-Kam W. Teo, Weyburn P.L., Sask. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-This thorough and comprehensive overview of the history and culture of African Americans is arranged chronologically, beginning with life in ancient Africa and continuing up to the present day. More text- and illustration-heavy than other atlases, it updates the 2001 edition with additional full-color maps (73 in all), black-and-white and color photographs, and illustrations (143 and 39, respectively); and recent events, such as the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and on the rest of the country. The book covers the slave trade through to the Civil War and its aftermath, discussing slaves' contributions to this country, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement, and black political and cultural leaders. The graphs and charts are particularly informative, chronicling the slave trade (including its triangular aspect) and migration routes. Ciment includes a discussion of rap and hip-hop, with maps indicating the home cities and spheres of influence of prominent artists. Similar to Colin A. Palmer's The Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History (Gale, 2006), this text supplies a great deal of information and is a solid choice.-Carol Jones Collins, Columbia High School, Maplewood, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Library Journal Review
Review by School Library Journal Review
