African Traditional Architecture: An Historical and Geographical Perspective

Susan Denyer's attractive book gives the first general introduction to the vernacular architecture of Africa. The traditional architecture of the people is fast gaining recognition as one of the more important aspects of the world's cultural heritage. In the case of Africa, most of the houses perish quickly when uninhabited leaving scant archaeological evidence. This book contributes towards the huge task of documentation that is needed to record the rich architectural heritage which is being wiped away by rapid social change. An outstanding feature of the book is the valuable collection of some 300 illustrations. They have been selected from a wide variety of sources and show the exceptional variety of building styles and forms in Africa. The photographs are used as evidence to reinforce the establishment of a conceptual framework. Malcolm McLeod, the Head Keeper of the Museum of Mankind (British Museum) has described them as 'an extremely interesting and important collection'. The chief merit of Denyer's survey lies in its comprehensive illustrations, the captions to which provide a concise yet informative commentary running parallel to the text. Denyer worked for the National Museum of Tanzania and was a Lecturer in Art and History at St. Peter's College of Education of Kaduna, Nigeria.