Not Out of Africa appeared in bookstores in February
1996. During the next few months it was widely re-
viewed, in the national newspapers and weekly magazines as
well as in many local papers. I was interviewed on radio and
television and in the Chronicle of Higher Education, The
Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The International Her-
ald Tribune, and The Times of London. Basic Books spon-
sored an internet debate between Martin Bernal and myself,
one of the first of its kind in the history of scholarship. ¹ It is
of course unusual for a book about ancient history to get so
much, or indeed any, public attention, but this book raises is-
sues that continue to be the subject of national debate, at
least in this country. Why is history taught? Is it to record as
accurately as possible what happened in the past, or is it
rather to instill confidence and pride in the young people to

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