Book excerpt: V.1. Methodology and African prehistory -- v.2. Ancient civilizations of Africa -- v.3. Africa from the seventh to the eleventh century -- v.4. Africa from the twelfth to the sixteenth century -- v.5. Africa from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century -- v.6. The nineteenth century until the 1880s -- v.7. Africa under foreign domination 1880-1935 -- v.8. Africa since 1935.