Mansa Musa: A Captivating Guide to the Emperor of the Islamic Mali Empire in West Africa and How He Developed Timbuktu into a Major Center for Trade (Western Africa)

This is long over due for publishing,heretofore all we have had access to was European based history.African Asian and South American history in some instances pre dates European.

good read

Musa was a great islamic figure od his time

From what is known of Mansa Musa, he was an intriguing emperor. Leader of the Mali Empire and one of the wealthiest men in history, he was a powerful force. Everything else is not as clear, however, due to little evidence, but Captivating History delivers to readers an amazing title regardless.It is difficult to trace the history of a man whose life remains mostly a mystery. Somehow, and unsurprisingly, this author takes what is known about Musa to construct a strong timeline of events. As such, readers will find important information relating to everything from the Mali Kingdom's founding to this leader's legacy.It is clear Captivating History has done its homework. Historiography and references are consistent, showing the research process in action. Although this author follows these practices in virtually each release, seeing it done in a work based on the life of someone who is lesser known is particularly admirable.Here is the bottom line: Read this book. No matter how much you know about Musa, there is always something new to learn. Captivating History makes this reading experience a true joy wherever you are in this process.

Personable writing style and an easy read is the best thing to say about the book. According to the author, there isn’t much information out there on the subject matter, just stories passed down through the generations…so why even write this book? It should have been a mere chapter in an expose on West Africa. I was hoping for a little more content.

In the 1300s, a monarch, Mansa Musa ruled over West Africa, which had some of the largest gold deposits of the world. Four hundred billion dollars is the estimated net worth of his possessions, which exceeds the worth of today's billionaires.Matt Clayton documents this monarch's life in this brief publication by sharing several anecdotes that capture how Mansa Musa was able to manage this wealth and influence his trading partners. His interest in developing material wealth and the skills and knowledge of his people left the area with a legacy and history which is seldom illuminated in our culture.The depiction of Mansa Musa, his nation and the political structure of his life is a remarkable history and is well captured in this brief publication. An appendix for further reading is provided.

Written on an elementary school level. No depth.

Most of this was new information to me and I found it very interesting. I had heard of Ibn Battuta’s extensive travels, but not Mansa Musa. The fact that Musa was the same as Moses and his support of Islam showed how religion affected these early African kingdoms.