North Africa: A History From Antiquity to the Present (University of Texas Press), by Phillip C. Naylor

Aside from ancient Egypt, North Africa usually receives short shrift in accounts of world history. Marquette University history professor Phillip Naylor hopes to remedy that with his remarkably succinct, lucid account of the region from the pharaohs through the 21st century. Many empires passed through North Africa, including the Arab Muslims who built a remarkable civilization in medieval Spain; the region is fascinating for its transcultural blend of the many societies that traded goods and ideas along its shore. Naylor synthesizes mountains of facts with great fairness to all parties, and takes keen interest in the region’s artistic and musical contributions, even citing the Moroccan influence on Robert Plant’s recent albums.