Book · 2014
The Fortunes of Africa
by Martin Meredith
Five thousand years of African history compressed into one sweep, from ancient gold caravans to the scramble that carved up the continent.
What does Reddit think of The Fortunes of Africa?
Seven recognized mentions across two subreddits is about as thin as this catalogue gets, and the two displayed excerpts don't help much either: neither preview shown here actually states an opinion on Martin Meredith's book. The ↑800 r/AskHistorians answer discusses how hard the Black Death hit North Africa, useful background for the book's subject matter but not a review of it. The r/history excerpt is the opening of a region-by-region reading list that starts with Afghanistan before the visible text cuts off, so whatever it says about Africa specifically isn't in the sample. Two distinct account identifiers make up the entire visible discussion. That's not damning — most of publishing lives outside Reddit's biggest book subreddits — but there isn't a consensus to report, positive or negative, because there isn't enough conversation here to have one.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · A five-thousand-year history that barely registers as its own topic on Reddit
- · Neighboring historical context standing in for direct discussion
- · A likely entry in region-by-region reading lists, though unconfirmed in the visible text
- · Two account identifiers carrying the entire displayed sample
Common praise
- + It surfaces in r/history's own curated round-up of recommended history books, organized by region — exactly the kind of thread built to catch a book like this (↑54).
- + The subject matter draws serious engagement nearby: r/AskHistorians' top displayed answer (↑800) treats the same territory, the Black Death's toll on North Africa, with the subreddit's usual rigor, even without naming the book directly.
Common criticism
- − Neither displayed excerpt states an opinion of the book itself, positive or negative, so there's no on-the-record complaint to report either.
- − At two distinct account identifiers, there isn't enough visible discussion here to separate genuine reception from simple obscurity.
Who it's for
If you want serious historical context instead of anecdote, r/AskHistorians' neighborhood on this topic (Black Death demographics in North Africa, ↑800) is the register this book is aiming for. Anyone assembling a region-by-region reading list, the way r/history's own thread is organized, is the exact audience the book's five-thousand-year scope was built to serve (↑54). Don't expect Reddit to settle whether it delivers on that scope, though — the visible sample doesn't contain a reader's verdict either way. Look elsewhere for firsthand reports on the prose; this corpus doesn't have them yet.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for The Fortunes of Africa?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“I can only speak to one part of your question: North Africa was actually hit extremely hard by the Black Death and did not recover until modern times. For example: Egypt, which historically was one of the largest regions of the Mediterranean World, experienced such sharp declines that it took until …
“Hello everyone. I compiled a list of all the books I strongly recommended, and organized them by region/topic. Hope you guys find it useful! Afghanistan: *Afghanistan* by Jonatahn A. Lee. The books provides a great overview of Afghanistan's rich history from the 15th century to the modern day. Int…
Convinced? Pick up The Fortunes of Africa
Readers also mention
Books that share discussion threads with The Fortunes of Africa — counted from the comments, not curated.
The Fortunes of Africa — frequently asked
What does Reddit actually say about The Fortunes of Africa?+
Not much yet. Only seven recognized mentions across two subreddits show up in the tracked corpus, and neither of the two displayed excerpts states a direct opinion on the book. r/AskHistorians' top-voted excerpt (↑800) is about the Black Death's toll on North Africa, adjacent subject matter rather than a review.
Is The Fortunes of Africa mentioned in Reddit reading lists?+
Likely, but not confirmed in the visible sample. The r/history excerpt (↑54) is the opening of a region-organized recommendation list, the kind of thread where a continent-spanning history book like this would fit, but the displayed text cuts off before reaching an Africa entry.
Should I trust Reddit's opinion on The Fortunes of Africa?+
There isn't enough of one to trust or distrust. Two distinct account identifiers make up the entire visible discussion, and neither excerpt shown here renders a verdict on the book itself. Treat the small mention count as a sign of low visibility on Reddit specifically, not as evidence about the book's quality one way or the other.