Africa and Africans as Seen by Classical Writers

In this groundbreaking study, the father of African Studies, William Leo Hansberry, examines classical references to the African continent and its people. The writings of Homer, Pliny, Ovid, Virgil, Herodotus and others are discussed and analyzed in a lively and highly readable manner. Africa and Africans as Seen By Classical Writers is Volume Two of the William Leo Hansberry African History Notebook edited by Joseph E. Harris. The essays included in this volume are taken from the private papers of Hansberry amassed while he taught at Howard University from 1922-1959. During these thirty-seven years, he laid the foundation for the systematic study of African history, culture and politics. Hansberry received the highest civilian award (First African Research Award from the Haile Sellasie I Prize Trust) from the Ethiopian government in 1964. The Hansberry Institute of African Studies at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka is testament to Hansberry's significance in the area of African Studies. He received both his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Harvard.