The Libyco-Berber Alphabet
(The Forgotten Civilisations of Africa - Part 1 : The North of Africa)
Bob Idjennaden
Amazon Digital Services
Nonfiction, History/Lettering
*** (Okay)
DESCRIPTION: When most people think of Africa, they think of Egypt, deserts, and primitive tribespeople. Few realize the wealth of history and prehistory of the continent's diverse past, the many civilizations and cultures whose artifacts continue to amaze and puzzle modern archaeologists and anthropologists. One of these relics is the Libyco-Berber written alphabet, which might even predate the so-called first alphabet of the Phoenicians. In this ebook, the author discusses the alphabet's origins, controversies, and continued usage among certain Berber-speaking African cultures.
A Kindle-exclusive title.
REVIEW: Another freebie download, I hoped it would help me with my ongoing efforts to generate interesting story ideas. Idjennaden's book makes a decent introduction to the concept of non-Egyptian ancient African cultures, but struggles to find a balance between engaging the uneducated masses and discussing the subject matter and surrounding scientific controversies. Being firmly on the uneducated-mass end of the spectrum, I felt a little lost. It might have been interesting to see more visual aids; more photos of Libyco-Berber artifacts and translations, modern usage, or something to help me connect to this undoubtedly significant archaeological discovery and its ramifications. For what it was, it was reasonably informative, but it never truly engaged my interest or imagination.
You might also enjoy:
Abandoned Places (Lesley and Roy Adkins) - My Review
Just My Type (Simon Garfield) - My Review
The Encyclopedia of Mysterious Places (Robert Ingpen and Philip Wilkinson) - My Review
Mysterious Places (Jennifer Westwood, editor) - My Review
No comments:
Post a Comment