African History DVD: Africa’s Great Civilizations

Last Updated on July 10, 2023 by ellen

If you’ve been looking for an African history DVD, I wanted to share something new available from PBS. I have always enjoyed learning more about our history. We can learn so much by watching what we’ve done in the past and learning from it. History is the base of our art, literature, music and culture.

African History DVD

Africa’s Great Civilizations In his six-hour series, Africa’s Great Civilizations, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. takes a new look at the history of Africa, from the birth of humankind to the dawn of the 20th century. This is a breathtaking and personal journey through two hundred thousand years of history.

It discusses the origins, on the African continent, of art, writing, and civilization itself, through the millennia in which Africa and Africans shaped not only their own rich civilizations but also the wider world.

Professor Gates travels the length and breadth of Africa. He chronicles the continent’s history from a firmly African perspective. His journey takes him from the city of Great Zimbabwe to the pyramids of Meroe, and the spectacular rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia.

The epic story that he tells is full of surprises and unexpected connections. It helps us to appreciate the collective and individual genius of Africans. Across thousands of years, they built civilizations and empires, fought wars, established great cities, furthered and spread learning. And, they created some of the most sublime art and architecture in human history.

This DVD features subtitles in English (SDH) and Descriptive Video for the Visually Impaired in English (DVI).

My thoughts:

This is an absolutely fascinating look at the history of Africa. While I was familiar with pyramids and several of the great cities of Africa that I was taught in school, there was so much in this DVD that was new to me.

If you’re looking for a better look at the history of Africa, Professor Gates does a fantastic job in explaining the wonders of Africa. As always, the visual images are amazing.

Check out my other PBS reviews.

ellen

Ellen is a mom of a 25-year-old son and 30-year-old daughter. She is Grandma to one adorable toddler. In what little spare time she has, she loves to read, watch movies, and check out the latest toys and games.