Leo africanuss geographical history of africa the british. Scholars suspect that shakespeares characterization of othello draws from the account leo africanus gives of africans virtues and vices. Leo africanus has 427 books on goodreads, and is currently reading never eat alone. If there is a leo africanus sparknotes, shmoop guide, or cliff notes, you can find a link to each study guide below. Strange, international political economy, cui bono.
Since very little is actually known about his life, the book fills in the historical episodes, placing leo in the company of many of the key historical figures of his time, including three popes, leo x, adrian vi, and pope clement vii, two ottoman. Yeatss mask the manuscript of leo africanus open book. Stirring in the reader the same curiosity and passion held by hasan. Although several critics have commented on the first appearance of the spirit of leo africanus to yeats and a few have examined the unpublished manuscript of yeatss dialogue with him, 1 no one has pointed out either the extent of yeatss preoccupation or the significance of his changing conception of leo. And other secrets to success, one relationship at a time by keith fer.
The person known to history as johannes leo in latin, giovanni. History and description of africa 1526 leo africanus. Presented, along with his book, to pope leo x, he was baptized and freed. Learn about his life, the morocco that was and the morocco that is today. View notes leo africanus reading notes from hum 212 at pepperdine university. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from christopher columbus to sir francis drake, and covering voyages to the new world, to china and japan, to russia and to. Travel through morocco, following the footsteps of leo africanus, a 16th century moroccan adventurer. Leo africanus certainly draws the reader in and at every page has one guessing where fate or luck will lead him next. The journey starts in al andalus before the fall of granada and winds its way through fez, timbuktu, cairo, constantinople, mecca, and rome amongst other cities. The principal of these informants was a berber, who came to cordova about ah 352, as envoy from the omayyid khalif, mostanser.
The first edition of the novel was published in 1988, and was written by amin maalouf. Leo africanus reading notes the year of salma alhurra met. Leo africanus is a nickname, a name assigned to leo by his italian peers when he was already in his 30s. The history and description of africa and of the notable things therein contained.
Page lxxxi he was born at cordova, towards the close of the eleventh or about the beginning of the twelfth century, and in his capacity of khatib had frequent opportunities of conversing with natives of the northern provinces of africa. The book was originally published in 1988, and focuses on power as a concept to analyze relationships in international politics and economics. Apr 08, 2011 leo africanus certainly draws the reader in and at every page has one guessing where fate or luck will lead him next. Leo africanus was an earlysixteenthcentury traveler who recorded in great. Book from the collections of university of california language english volume 3. Although leo the african was amin maaloufs first book, the novel was met with widespread acclaim when it was first published. This is taken from john porys translation of 1600 modified in. The story follows hasan from granada in spain, throughout north africa, rome, and various other places. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading leo africanus. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. He was unanimously respected as the most authoritative source for the political and human geography of the barbary coast and sudanic. Leo s description of timbuctoo, having visited the city twice.
Leo africanus really is an excellent example of historical fiction at its finest. Sahara trade linked mali to the middle east and europe. Leo the african by amin maalouf a book of a book of multiple layers and journeys finds the everyman in a 16thcentury traveller, says reader aggieh aggieh. Apr 20, 2011 leo africanus writings on africa had a considerable influence on all later writers on africa. From persia and arabia, camels carried goods such as rugs, swords, daggers and glass. It is a fictionalized account of the life of the renaissanceera traveler leo africanus and his involvement in many of the most important historical events of the 16th century. We are grateful to the yeats estate, to the estate of the late george mills harper and to the estate of the late richard j. Also includes sites with a short overview, synopsis, book report, or summary of amin maaloufs leo africanus. Recently i read susan stranges seminal book, states and markets. After the success of his first work, leo africanus, maalouf went on to receive the prix goncourt in 1993 for the rock of tanios and the 2010 prince of asturius award.
It relates, petically at times and often imaginatively, the story of those who did not make it to the new world. Leo africanus reading notes the year of salma alhurra. Born alhassan ibn muhammad alwizzaa alfasi, leo africanus was a native of granada, spain, and was educated in morocco. Through his descriptions, europeans formed an image of timbuktu as an exotic, mysterious, ancient, and inaccessible locale, making it the subject of fantasy and legend for years to come. History and description of africa 1526 leo africanus introduction alhassan ibnmuhammad alwazzan alfasi, better known as leo africanus, was probably born in the 1460s in granada, the last muslim toehold in spain, but was raised in fez in modern morocco. Leo africanus by amin maalouf reading guidebook club. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 304 pages and is available in paperback format. Thus wrote leo africanus, in his fortieth year, in this imaginary autobiography of the famous geographer, adventurer, and scholar hasan alwazzan, who was born in granada in 1488.
Leo africanus, traveler whose writings remained for some 400 years one of europes principal sources of information about islam. Yeats first referred to leo, so far as we can determine, in some notes. Leo africanus leoafricanus london, the united kingdom. His family left spain for morocco when he was a small child. Leo africanus writings on africa had a considerable influence on all later writers on africa. The history and description of africa by leo, africanus, ca.
The history and description of africa and of the notable. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read leo africanus. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from christopher columbus to sir francis drake, and covering voyages to the new world, to china and japan, to. Leo africanus by amin maalouf overdrive rakuten overdrive. It relates, poetically at times and often imaginatively, the story of those who did not make it to the new world. In a volume devoted to yeatss mask, it seemed appropriate to reprint this major landmark in the long process of bringing unpublished yeats to light. The year of salma alhurra met sulaiman, grandfather of hasan met salma, mother of. The name by which leo is known today, leo africanus leo the african, stems from his reputation for writing the definitive european book on africa.
Cambridge core historical geography the history and description of africa by leo africanus edited by robert brown. Those who are simply looking for a good read can rest assure that the life of leo both in reality and in this novel is sufficiently interesting. Discovery and invention of the sudanese middle ages. Were considering expanding this synopsis into a fulllength study guide to deepen your comprehension of the book and why its important. Many of his novels are heavily influenced by his personal experience of migration. It is a fictionalized account of the life of the renaissanceera traveler leo africanus and his involvement in many of the most important historical events of the 16 th century. Leo africanus14851554 traveler sourcesspanish muslim. Leo africanus is a beautiful book of tales about people who are forced to accept choices made for them by someone else. Buy leo africanus book online at low prices in india leo. The life and travels of leo africanus quintus curtius. This is a paper originally published in alandalusmagreb. Jun 02, 2018 the book went through many editions and was translated into latin, french, and english. We cannot read through this book without dreaming of a time when we may be able to let destiny sweep us along an unknown path. Book summary views reflect the number of visits to the book and chapter landing pages.
Hasan and his family were forced to flee to fez, where he grew up and became a very welloff merchant. In 1550, leo africanus, a muslimborn diplomat and traveler who served pope leo x, produced the first geographical description of africa to be published in europe. Free download or read online samarkand pdf epub book. Leo africanus project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. His family fled the inquisition and took him to the city of fez, in north africa. The history and description of africa by leo africanus. Educated at fes, in morocco, leo africanus traveled widely as a young man on commercial and diplomatic missions through north africa and may also have visited the city of. Nothing outside any window could be more thrilling than the sights shown by hasan alwazzan, the 16thcentury. Leo, whose name he took in baptism, suggested that he recast his arabic work in italian. Leo africanus description of west africa 1500 leo africanus leo africanus.
Ports of call by amin maalouf book analysis detailed summary, analysis and reading guide. The book was first written in 1550 by a moorish traveller and linguistic scholar known as john leo africanus c. The book was dictated in italian by leo africanus, the famed moorish traveler and merchant who had been captured by pirates and sold as a slave. Moorish man of learning is a brief introduction to leo. Finneran, to whom was assigned for the initial publication in yeats annual 1 1980. Pdf samarkand book by amin maalouf free download 304. Those familiar with africanus will appreciate maaloufs use of historical facts to season his gripping story. It was translated into english in 1600 by john pory. The book was regarded among his scholarly peers in europe as the. The book, a detailed account of africa, its trade routes, geography, terrain, and people was an exceptionally important source of information on the continent and is generally considered the first book written by a person of primarily african descent. The man with many names1 pekka masonen the sixteenthcentury andalusi adventurer leo africanus was a household name amidst european geographers for almost three centuries. Leo africanus is an epic travel journey seen from the eyes of our protagonist hasan who assumes many identities over 40 years of time period depicted in the book. Buy leo africanus book online at best prices in india on. Strange, who died in 1998, was a long time academic in the field of international relations and international political economy.
In about 1494, leo africanus was born in granada, a city at the foot of the sierra nevada. Leo africanus by amin maalouf goodreads share book. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Not only do you get to see interesting historical events up close or understand how ancient societies worked, but you get an intensely personal and touching story as well. The year of salma alhurra met sulaiman, grandfather of hasan met salma, mother of hasan met sarah, who argued that. Hasan ibn muhammad alwazzan, better known as joannes leo africanus, was born in the muslim kingdom of granada just a few years before it was conquered by the christians in 1492.
In the 14th century, the kingdom of mali became rich and powerful as a result of the trans saharan trade. Leo africanus or alhasan ibn muhammad alwazzan,is a terrific tale retold by amin maalouf. A very interesting recent oecd paper in their west african papers series shows the praetorian history of military forces in the region, and notes that, while some progress has been made, this must not distract from the fact that in all three countries, a visible section of the armed forces remains at odds with democratic principles. The description of africa by leo africanus historywiz. The history and description of africa by leo africanus june 2010. Leo africanus summary and analysis free book notes.
Most information of his life is based on the autobiographical notes in his own work and on the few remarks in other sixteenthcentury european texts. A historic explorer leads the way on an epic african journey. Theres little i can add to the laudatory comments on maaloufs book leo africanus. Description of timbuktu from the description of africa 1526 november 4, 2016 elizabeth. As a young man he traveled all over north africa and west africa on trade and diplomatic missions with his father, visiting the songhai empire in 151515.
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