African History of Africa

*AN INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*
*A Radio 4 Book of the Week* *A Guardian Best Summer Read*
Selected as a book to look out for in 2024 by the Guardian and The Rest is Politics

Everyone is originally from Africa, and this book is therefore for everyone.

For too long, Africa’s history has been dominated by western narratives of slavery and colonialism, or simply ignored. Now, Zeinab Badawi sets the record straight.

In this fascinating book, Badawi guides us through Africa’s spectacular history – from the very origins of our species, through ancient civilisations and medieval empires with remarkable queens and kings, to the miseries of conquest and the elation of independence. Visiting more than thirty African countries to interview countless historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and local storytellers, she unearths buried histories from across the continent and gives Africa its rightful place in our global story.

The result is a gripping new account of Africa: an epic, sweeping history of the oldest inhabited continent on the planet, told through the voices of Africans themselves.

Değerlendirmeler

In a world where western narratives have poorly chalked up Africa’s history to simply one of slavery and colonialism, Badawi heads out on a corrective journey. Visiting 30 of the continent’s countries and interviewing everyone from historians to anthropologists, this is an eye-opening book