This book is one of the best and most honest ones about the
"Family", a Christian humanitarian international movement that is out all over the world following Christ's commandment "to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature". The
"Family" lives communally like the early Christians in Acts lived and are really "succesful" because they put God's Love for mankind into action. I can only recommend this book.

If you haven't read this book, and you think you know African history - you're probably wrong. Chancellor Williams' work is an excellent, disturbing, must-read text for African Americans. It details the glories, and discusses the mistakes in black cultures that led to their present status. If you didn't know that African cultures have always been rather open, if you don't know how cultures that develop technology first end up being technologically backward, if you don't understand the real relationship among African, Arab, Semitic, and European cultures, you need to read this book.

Williams' work seeks to challenge every pre-existing concept you had on what it means to be African. You will learn that much of what African Americans believe to be Afro-centric nationalism is based on a lack of knowledge. You will see recurrent themes that exist today both in modern African society, and in African American society. Finally, you will learn that AA cultural destruction is due to contributory negligence as well as outside interference.

This book was responsible for my personal growth from '60s black nationalist racism, to multi-cultural awareness. It forced me to ask myself - if my people have always been open to other races, why does being "black" demand otherwise? Perhaps it will help ou on your journey as well.

The average reader of this book always misconstrues it's purpose. The purpose of this book is not to be descriptive, but prescriptive. In other words, The Destruction is not meant to serve solely as a history book. The book's purpose is to provide Afrikan people with an historical background into Afrikan-specific problems of the past, while at the same time, giving viable solutions to what Afrikan people should do to solve the same, lingering problems that slavery, colonialism, and neo-colonialism are very definitely at the root of. One of Mr. Williams' most brilliant observances is the politcal role that Arabs and Islam have played in and among Afrikan people. He cogently and correctly exposes how Afrika and her people have been historically duped and demeaned, not only by Europeans [Chrisitans] and Asians, but by Arabs also. This one issue has been the most talked about, but the least understood. To extract the true essence and point of book one need but look at its subtitle - "Great Issues of a Race from 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D." That says it all right there. Chancellor Williams, visionary that he was, knew that by the start of the new millenium, Afrikan people would be suffering the same problems that Afrikan people of 4500 B.C. suffered unless . . . we took a step back and gave a critical, crucial, and correct analysis of the problems that confront us. At the end of the book, Williams offers what he refers to as "The Master Plan"; to give Afrikan people a blueprint toward true power and an understanding of who they are and who they still have to be in this world. An most excellent read that prompts you to move from theory to practice!!

This book without a doubt is one of the most carefully researched books I have ever read. I love the way that Mr. Williams carefully breaks down the history of the early African and traces them throughout their history. He gives proficient details about the accomplishments and failures of the early African people.
There is a reoccurring theme in this book. Indigenous Africans gain power and indigenous Africans lose power. That statement sums up this book briefly. Mr. Williams goes into detail to explain how a black Egypt could be viewed by the world as being white. The answers to this question can be found starting with chapter two entitled Ethiopia's Oldest Daughter: Egypt. In this chapter, he proposes "the mulatto problem" which I feel is key in understanding how the face of early Africa was changed. When other groups of people came in from the east the Africans allowed them to assimilate into their culture. There were many interracial unions, which allowed for a mixture of kin. This mixture of kin is what lead to the demise of the total black African state. Time and time of again people who did not have a natural birth right to any African state were allowed to do so based on marriage or kinship. This is why Mr. Williams study shows how indigenous African flip-flop control of power so frequently. Whenever indigenous African took control of Egypt the power was relinquish due to an interracial unions or kinship not to mention the violence and acts of war. Again, in many ways this scenario is a reoccurring them throughout this book. The early African inability to hold on to what was natural his has cause others to question whether he should be given any credit at all. Mr. Williams traces what happen and he gives excellent details.
The period of this book is from 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D. At first glance, some might consider Chancellor Williams to be somewhat of a prophet. This book was published in 1987 yet Mr. Williams boldly took the contents of his study all the way back to the traceable beginning of civilization into the future. Why? When people are asked why do they study history one of the most popular answers is "So that we will not make the same mistakes of the past" In his study Mr. Williams found throughout history African/African-American people had been making the same basic mistakes. It was a trend that kept repeating its self for over 5000 years. Mr. Williams understood that this cycle could not be stop in one or two generations. This is why I feel that he had such a large time period. History is change over time and sadly Mr. Williams looked out and saw no change over time.
The structure of this book is very good because Mr. Williams gives detail into the workings of early African civilization. He talks about all of their early accomplishments and all of their failures. He gives the facts as he discovered them, but at the end, his does something different. He offers a plan to help aid all Africans and to help them break the cycle that is obviously holding them back.
This book strength is one of its weaknesses. This is a very detail study which is good because it gives us a very clear understanding as to what actually happen to the early Africans, but this book is written with so much detail that at times it beings to drag and gets a little dull. In my opinion, a book has to read as to keep the readers attention much like an action movie is designed to do and at times, this book could not keep my attention.

Though it is an older book than Destruction of Black Civilization, it was written in 1961, and more sociological than historical, the information it contains is still shockingly relevant and brilliant in today's world, especially surrounding the current debate over Afrocentrism. Anyone interested in Chancellor Williams true ideas in detail and his first-hand views and observations of Africa should read this book.