An African History of Africa

Discover the ground-breaking, must-read history of Africa, the Sunday Times bestseller charting the epic story of the oldest inhabited continent in the world from the perspectives of Africans themselves. Shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards

Picked as a best paperback by the Sunday Times, Guardian and I paper

Radio 4 Book of the Week

As recommended on 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, award-winning journalist and broadcaster Zeinab Badawi sets the record straight. In this fascinating book, Badawi guides us through Africa’s spectacular history – from the origins of humanity, through ancient civilisations and medieval empires, 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, Badawi weaves together a gripping new history of the oldest inhabited continent on the planet, told through the voices of Africans themselves.

Zeinab Badawi’s remarkable new book lives up to her dependable standards of excellence. It takes the reader on an up-close-and-personal journey across this unique continent, seemingly holding your hand while uncovering extraordinary gems of truth as she allows previously untold stories to be heard, A fascinating, thought-provoking and entertaining romp through several thousand years of history . . . This book is for everyone not only in the sense that we are all, ultimately, from Africa, but also because it is highly readable, A refreshing corrective to narratives imposed on the continent by others . . . Ambitious in scope . . . The very act of telling African history from an African perspective and by making this history accessible to a wide audience is an assertion of dignity and an invitation to learn more . . . As Badawi puts it: “I hope I have demonstrated that Africa has a history, that it is a fundamental part of our global story, and one that is worthy of greater attention and respect than it has so far received.” She most certainly has, Zeinab Badawi reclaims her home continent’s past . . . Researched across more than 30 countries, it brings dazzling civilisations of pre-colonial Africa vividly to life. A book that feels long-overdue . . . and wholly worth the wait, 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

Zeinab Badawi is an award-winning broadcaster, journalist, and filmmaker. She is President of SOAS University of London and is an honorary fellow of her alma mater St Hilda’s College, Oxford. Born in Sudan, she has worked in the British media for several decades. Zeinab is a recipient of the President’s Medal of the British Academy, a Patron of the United Nations Association UK, and is on the boards of the Arts, Humanities and Research Council, MINDS (the Mandela Institute for Development Studies), the International Crisis Group and Afrobarometer. She was previously Chair of the Royal African Society. An African History of Africa is her first book.