Front cover of Prelude to East African History, edited by Merrick Posnansky, Oxford University Press Students’ Library paperback, published in 1966.
Title and copyright page of Prelude to East African History, edited by Merrick Posnansky, Oxford University Press, London Ibadan Nairobi, 1966.
Back cover of Prelude to East African History showing publisher’s description and visible vintage wear to the paperback.
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Front cover of Prelude to East African History, edited by Merrick Posnansky, Oxford University Press Students’ Library paperback, published in 1966.Title and copyright page of Prelude to East African History, edited by Merrick Posnansky, Oxford University Press, London Ibadan Nairobi, 1966.Back cover of Prelude to East African History showing publisher’s description and visible vintage wear to the paperback.

Prelude to East African History

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Description

Students’ Library Series

Editor: Merrick Posnansky
With a Preface by: L. P. Kirwan
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Place of Publication: London · Ibadan · Nairobi
Year: 1966
Format: Paperback
Condition: Good+ (see details)

Description

Prelude to East African History is a scholarly collection of papers presented at the First East African Vacation School in Pre-European African History and Archaeology, held in December 1962. Edited by archaeologist and historian Merrick Posnansky, the volume reflects an important moment in African historiography, when African history and archaeology were emerging as serious academic disciplines in their own right rather than as peripheral to European narratives.

The essays address archaeological, historical, and methodological questions concerning East Africa’s pre-colonial past, emphasizing interdisciplinary research and fieldwork. Contributors include leading scholars active in African archaeology and history during the period, making this a significant mid-20th-century academic work.

This copy is from the Students’ Library series issued by Oxford University Press. It shows visible exterior wear and age-related handling, including cover wear and surface abrasion, consistent with a working academic paperback. The text block remains intact and readable, and the book is suitable for study, reference, or collection within African history and archaeology holdings.

This title forms part of the Doane Perry Collection, reflecting Perry’s lifelong engagement with African studies, anthropology, history, and cross-cultural scholarship.

 Scholarly & Collecting Significance

  • Early post-colonial academic approach to East African history

  • Emphasis on African agency, archaeology, and interdisciplinary research

  • Published by Oxford University Press during a pivotal period in African studies

  • Relevant to African history, archaeology, anthropology, and historiography

  • Provenance-aligned with the Doane Perry Collection