Board of Trustees, Boston University

The Danish National Archives. Sources of the History of North Africa, Asia and Oceania inDenmark by C. Rise HansenReview by: Svend E. HolsoeThe International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 16, No. 2 (1983), p. 300Published by: Boston University African Studies CenterStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/217801 .

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300 BOOK REVIEWS 300 BOOK REVIEWS

The discriminating student of recent East African history and political economy as well as theorists of international integration will find something of value in this volume. The bibliography is helpful but curiously sparse regarding the integration experience of western and southern African. The careful reader may bridle at the copious typographical errors.

HARVEY GLICKMAN University of California, Berkeley

THE DANISH NATIONAL ARCHIVES. SOURCES OF THE HISTORY OF NORTH AFRICA, ASIA AND OCEANIA IN DENMARK. Compiled by C. Rise Hansen. Munich: K. G. Saur, 1980. Pp. 842. $162.00.

This index is a massive and truly comprehensive guide to both public and private archives in Denmark. It would be difficult to believe that any important collection has been overlooked. The amount of work that this volume represents is staggering. The price, however, is regrettable.

Each archive is listed with a brief summary including address and accessibility. A short note about the origin of the collection is also given. Then, depending on the size and complexity of the institution and collection, the materials are arranged and listed. When items are in Danish or another Nordic language, an English translation is added. In general it is possible to locate the parts of the world which the particular item concerns. There are some exceptions, but they are fairly rare.

Given the title of this work, materials from North Africa, Asia (which includes all parts: Western, Southwestern, Central, Central Southern, Southeastern, and Eastern) and Oceania (which also includes Alaska, for some reason) are all mixed together. However, there are excellent indices which allow the reader to find a parti- cular country, region or city, along with names of individuals. Thus, the researcher should have little difficulty locating materi- als of special interest.

For the non-Danish reader, the English translations are a bles- sing. Nevertheless, although it is certainly possible to work one's way through these translations, it is too bad that a more proficient translator was not found. Most of the translation is a literal ren- dering of the original Danish.

For readers of this journal, particular mention should be made of the North African materials included in this volume. The Danish archives are clearly a rich source waiting to be tapped. Denmark's sustained involvement with various North African states from the early 1600s into the twentieth century is indicated by the archival records. To my knowledge, these sources have not received the atten- tion that they deserve, particularly by English-speaking scholars. Any researcher interested in North Africa will be stimulated and presumably excited by the materials to be found in the various Danish archives. This volume serves as an excellent introduction and guide.

The discriminating student of recent East African history and political economy as well as theorists of international integration will find something of value in this volume. The bibliography is helpful but curiously sparse regarding the integration experience of western and southern African. The careful reader may bridle at the copious typographical errors.

HARVEY GLICKMAN University of California, Berkeley

THE DANISH NATIONAL ARCHIVES. SOURCES OF THE HISTORY OF NORTH AFRICA, ASIA AND OCEANIA IN DENMARK. Compiled by C. Rise Hansen. Munich: K. G. Saur, 1980. Pp. 842. $162.00.

This index is a massive and truly comprehensive guide to both public and private archives in Denmark. It would be difficult to believe that any important collection has been overlooked. The amount of work that this volume represents is staggering. The price, however, is regrettable.

Each archive is listed with a brief summary including address and accessibility. A short note about the origin of the collection is also given. Then, depending on the size and complexity of the institution and collection, the materials are arranged and listed. When items are in Danish or another Nordic language, an English translation is added. In general it is possible to locate the parts of the world which the particular item concerns. There are some exceptions, but they are fairly rare.

Given the title of this work, materials from North Africa, Asia (which includes all parts: Western, Southwestern, Central, Central Southern, Southeastern, and Eastern) and Oceania (which also includes Alaska, for some reason) are all mixed together. However, there are excellent indices which allow the reader to find a parti- cular country, region or city, along with names of individuals. Thus, the researcher should have little difficulty locating materi- als of special interest.

For the non-Danish reader, the English translations are a bles- sing. Nevertheless, although it is certainly possible to work one's way through these translations, it is too bad that a more proficient translator was not found. Most of the translation is a literal ren- dering of the original Danish.

For readers of this journal, particular mention should be made of the North African materials included in this volume. The Danish archives are clearly a rich source waiting to be tapped. Denmark's sustained involvement with various North African states from the early 1600s into the twentieth century is indicated by the archival records. To my knowledge, these sources have not received the atten- tion that they deserve, particularly by English-speaking scholars. Any researcher interested in North Africa will be stimulated and presumably excited by the materials to be found in the various Danish archives. This volume serves as an excellent introduction and guide.

SVEND E. HOLSOE University of Delaware

SVEND E. HOLSOE University of Delaware

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