{"title":"John Parker","description":"John Parker teaches African history at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He specializes in the history of Ghana and is the author of Making the Town: Ga State and Society in Early Colonial Accra and (with Jean Allman) Tongnaab: The History of a West African God. He is currently researching a book on the history of death and burial in Ghana.","products":[{"product_id":"african-history-a-very-short-introduction-paperback","title":"African History: A Very Short Introduction - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cem\u003eVery Short Introduction\u003c\/em\u003e looks at Africa's past and reflects on the changing ways it has been imagined and represented, both in Africa and beyond. The author illustrates important aspects of Africa's history with a range of fascinating historical examples, drawn from over 5 millennia across this vast continent. The multitude of topics that the reader will learn about in this succinct work include the unity and diversity of African cultures, slavery, religion, colonial conquest, the diaspora, and the importance of history in understanding contemporary Africa. The book examines questions such as: Who invented the idea of \"Africa\"? How is African history pieced together, given such a lack of documentary evidence? How did Africa interact with the world 1,000 years ago? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAfrica has been known as 'the cradle of mankind', and its recoverable history stretches back to the Pharaohs. But the idea of studying African history is itself new, and the authors show why it is still contested and controversial. This \u003cem\u003eVSI\u003c\/em\u003e, the first concise work of its kind, will prove essential reading for anyone interested in the African continent and the diversity of human history.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51365698994399,"sku":"9780192802484","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/pnmKY5-gt29780192802484.webp?v=1789070119"},{"product_id":"great-kingdoms-of-africa-hardcover","title":"Great Kingdoms of Africa - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA groundbreaking, sweeping overview of the great kingdoms in African history and their legacies, written by world-leading experts.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis is the first book for nonspecialists to explore the great precolonial kingdoms of Africa that have been marginalized throughout history. \u003ci\u003eGreat Kingdoms of Africa\u003c\/i\u003e decenters European colonialism and slavery as the major themes of African history and instead explores the kingdoms, dynasties, and city-states that have shaped cultures across the African continent. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis groundbreaking book offers an innovative and thought-provoking overview that takes us from ancient Egypt and Nubia to the Zulu Kingdom almost two thousand years later. Each chapter is written by a leading historian, interweaving political and social history and drawing on a rich array of sources, including oral histories and recent archaeological findings. \u003ci\u003eGreat Kingdoms of Africa\u003c\/i\u003e is a timely and vital book for anyone who wants to expand their knowledge of Africa's rich history.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51365707088095,"sku":"9780520395671","price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/TGJCBEOj879780520395671.webp?v=1789070162"},{"product_id":"drama-and-the-death-of-god-secularity-on-stage-from-antiquity-to-shakespeare-paperback","title":"Drama and the Death of God: Secularity on Stage from Antiquity to Shakespeare - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDrama and the Death of God\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e, John Parker argues that the secularity often associated with Shakespeare inspired a variety of performances going back to antiquity.\u003c\/b\u003e Scripture presupposes, even needs, the existence of a worldly sphere inimical to faith: known as the \u003ci\u003esaeculum\u003c\/i\u003e, this finite domain of appetite and unbelief invited both condemnation and celebration throughout medieval Christendom, as exemplified by the songs and plays of the \u003ci\u003eCarmina Burana\u003c\/i\u003e. After the tenth century, Christians routinely impersonated unbelievers in music dramas connected to the high holidays so that they might question biblical truths, especially the authenticity of miracles. The church generated by this means a vision of the godless world that modernity stepped into. After the English Reformation, when Europe's first commercial theaters arose on ruined monastic estates, players continued to showcase how divine intervention could be staged by humans in the absence of God. \u003ci\u003eKing Lear\u003c\/i\u003e in particular explores the ancient proposition that the \u003ci\u003esaeculum\u003c\/i\u003e holds no inherent meaning and is capable of generating only pseudomiraculous spectacles to salve the ache of existence.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51377305223391,"sku":"9781501785290","price":62.91,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/F_FXV297yj9781501785290.webp?v=1789232755"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/john-parker.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}