A monographic series that, for many African countries, is one of the best places for nonspecialists to begin research. A few early volumes were more comprehensive and intended for scholars, but since 1981, the series has been oriented toward English-speaking general readers. Volumes follow a standardized format, beginning with a historically-based overview essay, followed by topical sections containing annotated citations. Recent monographic publications are favored over older, briefer works.
Volumes end with a dictionary index, an outline map, and sometimes a chronology.
Retrospective Asamani, J. O. Index Africanus . Over 24,000 entries arranged geographically by region, subdivided by country and then by subject. A bibliography of primary source for nineteenth-century tropical Africa as recorded by explorers, missionaries, traders, travelers, administrators, military men, adventurers, and others . Stanford, Calif., Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, 1972. Cumulative Bibliography of African Studies .