Confidential Print: Africa, 1834-1966

This archive is a compilation of "Confidential Print"--significant documents issued by and circulated within the British Foreign and Colonial Offices and among high officials concerning Africa (excluding Egypt) during the period of European imperialism, colonial governance, and African resistance and decolonization. Covering roughly 1834-1966, this collection of electronically scanned primary documents is part of a series of similar databases that encompass other regions, including the Middle East, North America, and Latin America. "Confidential Print" documents have been available to scholars for decades in print volumes; however this is the first online, fully searchable database of these African documents, which substantially increases access. The documents themselves are a mix of reports, dispatches, correspondence, and analyses of the political and economic climate as well as profiles of influential people in Africa. While the focus, of course, is British activities, the documents discuss other European powers and their African holdings as well. The database's strength and weakness is that it derives from a singular point of view-that of the British. The documents present substantive descriptions of events and personalities, providing insight into the mindset of the imperial machine across more than a century. On the other hand, the indigenous point of view is absent from the database by design. Thus it lacks the critically important African perspective. Nonetheless, this collection is invaluable for the study of the British presence in Africa during a crucial phase of development for both the empire and the continent. Documents can be browsed, but not efficiently, since they are listed without subject groupings from which to select; searching is the better bet. The advanced search allows for stemming, and for Boolean, proximity, and date limit searching. Once the documents are opened, their contents are searchable; records can be exported to EndNote (CH, Feb'08, 45-2929) and RefWorks. Other features include a fairly comprehensive, illustrated chronology and a collection of approximately 300 maps (some with color contrast). The map zoom options are limited, making highly detailed maps virtually unreadable at a fine level. Entire documents can be downloaded in PDF (unavailable as part of a free trial); this feature may provide better zooming options. At the time of this review the link to essays was only a placeholder, with essays slated for future development

Summing Up: Recommended. Research libraries with an extensive Africana collection; lower-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty.

Reprinted with permission from Choice http://www.cro2.org, copyright by the American Library Association.

This resource provides scholars with unprecedented online access to the United Kingdom’s confidential correspondence covering almost the entire period of European conquest and colonisation of Africa.