THE ZAMBEZI, a history

349pp., b/w & colour illus., maps, hardback, d.w., London, 2022

Malyn Newitt on the history and culture of the peoples that have lived along the Zambezi River, the impact of Portuguese and British colonial rule, and of the more recent taming of the river through the building of dams and bridges.

"Few histories of natural landmarks capture the ebbs and flows of the economic, political and social life they engender like this history of the Zambezi. A remarkable tale of a river whose story may come to an end in the face of increased human pressure and global warming. " Benedito Machava, Assistant Professor of History, Yale University

"Newitt masterfully connects the past and present through the history of Zambezi valley region, by exploring the influence of rivers on settlement strategies, state formation, environmental change, livelihood strategies, cultural interchange, political conflicts and technological developments." Joel das Neves Tembe, Professor of African and Mozambican History, Eduardo Mondlane University, and former Director of Mozambique Historical Archives

Malyn Newitt was Deputy Vice-chancellor of the University of Exeter, and the first holder of the Charles Boxer Chair, King's College London. He has authored more than twenty books on Portugal and Portuguese colonial history, including A Short History of Mozambique and Emigration and the Sea.