African Economic History：Internal Development and External Dependency，composed by Ralph Austen，is the first comprehensive scholarly work in this field. In an attempt to display the entire landscape of African economic history，the author periodized the African history in the traditional way of pre-colonial，colonial and post-colonial，while simultaneously expounded on details in a “continental-thematic” sequence. This work unfolded before us the complexity of African economic history. It is undoubtedly worth reading because of the extensive time span，the correction of euro-centrism，distinctive theoretical analyses and profound historical materials.