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The Forgotten Era
Nigeria Before British Rule
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Brief Description
Siollun's books are gripping - Financial Times Much is known about what Europeans did in Africa, yet very little is known about Africa's history before its colonisation. In this surprising exploration, Max Siollun uncovers societies that were not part of a backward 'Dark Continent', but which...
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The beautifully complex history of how Nigerians lived before colonisation
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Description
Siollun's books are gripping - Financial Times
Much is known about what Europeans did in Africa, yet very little is known about Africa's history before its colonisation. In this surprising exploration, Max Siollun uncovers societies that were not part of a backward 'Dark Continent', but which instead had rich lore to rival the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Pre-colonial West Africa had a mesmerising cast of revolutionaries, intellectuals, innovators, and villainous assassins. These include the family that overthrew three different 1000-year-old empires, the royal court official who engineered the death of four kings, and the young enslaved boy who became the first Black bishop in history, befriending Queen Victoria along the way.
This story of a dynamic and artistic people is a vital read for those who want to discover a forgotten era of West Africa.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780745350080
Publisher: Pluto Press
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 20 February 2025
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Pluto Press
Illustration: 15 Halftones, black and white; 4 Maps
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 25.0mm
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 336
About the Author
Max Siollun is a historian. He has written four acclaimed books on Nigeria's history, most recently What Britain Did to Nigeria: A Short History of Conquest and Rule, which was shortlisted in BBC History Magazine's 2021 Books of the Year. He has written for many publications including the New York Times, Guardian, the Independent and Foreign Policy.
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What Britain Did to Nigeria
Most accounts of Nigeria's colonisation were written by British officials, presenting it as a noble civilising mission to rid Africans of barbaric superstition and corrupt tribal leadership. Thanks to this skewed writing of history, many Nigerians today still have Empire nostalgia and view the colonial period through rose-tinted glasses. Max Siollun offers a bold rethink: an unromanticised history, arguing compellingly...Paperback$7300Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
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Incredibly necessary, magnificently done, Siollun charts the characters and events that shaped the lives of those who inhabited Nigeria's territories centuries before colonisation - Remi Adekoya, author of It's Not About Whiteness, It's About Wealth Without a doubt, Max Siollun is the best Nigeria-focused historian of our times - Matthew T. Page, former U.S. State Department Nigeria expert Max Siollun...Paperback$5300Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks
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