Th­e systematic study of the “history of the book” and the impact of print and writing in African countries has not yet received widespread recognition as a discipline. In just the past two decades, levels of knowledge and interest in this field have grown. ­is essay aims to trace the trajectory of research carried out in the broad discipline of the history of the book in Africa. Evidence shows that an early interest in locally focused or national histories appears to have endured, although some scholars are now beginning to conduct trans-national and comparative studies. However, withoutmore baseline studies of the origins and development of printing and publishing, a solid basis has not yet been laid for more far-reaching studies. Considerable gaps remain, so there is scope for further research on this continent.