Forgotten Era

Siolluns books are gripping Financial TimesAn essential book youll want to re-read many times there is no more eloquent and informed guide than Max Siollun Sathnam Sanghera, author of EmpirelandIncredibly necessary, magnificently done Remi Adekoya, author of Its Not About Whiteness, Its About WealthMax Siollun has succeeded at making Nigerias pre-colonial history accessible without flattening the tremendous diversity of its many peoples Alex Thurston, University of CincinnatiAn unforgettable read Matthew T. Page, former US State Department Nigeria expertMax Siollun brings history to life with a cinematic sweep and intellectual confidence Gimba Kakanda, Co-Lead at the Presidential Initiative for Innovation, Policy Evaluation and ResearchMuch is known about what Europeans did in Africa, yet very little is known about Africas 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 African history.Max Siollun is a historian and author. He has written four acclaimed books on Nigerias history, most recently What Britain Did to Nigeria: A Short History of Conquest and Rule, which was shortlisted in BBC History Magazines 2021 Books of the Year. He has written for the New York Times, Guardian, Independent and Foreign Policy.