How long does it take to read The Fortunes of Africa?
The Fortunes of Africa by Martin Meredith takes about 13 hours 40 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.
About 13 hours 40 minutes
A week or two of reading
First published 2014. 745 pages, about 204,875 words.
28 days at 30 minutes a day
Estimate based on 275 words per page.
At other speeds
| Slow, 150 words a minute | 22 hours 46 minutes |
| Average, 250 words a minute | 13 hours 40 minutes |
| Fast, 400 words a minute | 8 hours 32 minutes |
The page count is the median across 8 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.
About the book
Africa has been coveted for its riches ever since the era of the Pharaohs. In past centuries, it was the lure of gold, ivory, and slaves that drew fortune-seekers, merchant-adventurers, and conquerors from afar. In modern times, the focus of attention is on oil, diamonds, and other valuable minerals. Land was another prize. The Romans relied on their colonies in northern Africa for vital grain shipments to feed the population of Rome. Arab invaders followed in their wake, eventually colonizing the entire region. More recently, foreign corporations have acquired huge tracts of land to secure food supplies needed abroad, just as the Romans did. In this vast and vivid panorama of history, Martin Meredith follows the fortunes of Africa over a period of 5,000 years. With compelling narrative, he traces the rise and fall of ancient kingdoms and empires; the spread of Christianity and Islam; the enduring quest for gold and other riches; the exploits of explorers and missionaries; and the impact of European colonization. He examines, too, the fate of modern African states and concludes with a glimpse of their future.
Subjects: History, Wealth, Africa, economic conditions, Africa, history, Economic conditions, Economic history
