10 Best Books to Read about the History of Africa

Maasai Morans from Kenya. Image by David Mark from Pixabay

10 Best Books to Read about the History of Africa

Africa is humanity and nature at its rawest, everywhere else in the world understanding of Africa and Africans is limited and far too often wildly distorted. It is a continent that is home to some of the greatest natural features on earth but also associated with some of the worst atrocities in modern history. Most writers on Africa’s history are hamstrung by political correctness and a fundamental lack of understanding of African culture. In 1964, UNESCO launched the elaboration of the General History of Africa (GHA) with a view to remedy the general ignorance on Africa’s history. The challenge consisted of reconstructing Africa’s history, freeing it from racial prejudices ensuing from slave trade and colonization, and promoting an African perspective. UNESCO therefore called upon the then utmost African and non-African experts. These experts’ work represented 35 years of cooperation between more than 230 historians and other specialists, and was overseen by an International Scientific Committee which comprised two-thirds of Africans. As of today Africa is a richly diverse place. Its ethnic mix, the more than 1,500 languages spoken there, and even the genetic origins of its 1.2 billion people are more varied than on any other place on Earth. Politically and economically, too, Africa is a patchwork, encompassing a wide range of political systems and economic realities. The continent — the world’s second largest by land area comprises 54 nations. This articles looks at 10 best books to read about the history of Africa.

The Best Books about History of Africa: Nonfiction

Africa Dances by  Geoffrey Gorer

‘A book I could not put down from the first page to the last.’ – Daily Telegraph

Image by Eti from Pixabay

The book describes the culture and customs of the West Africans and the impact of the European culture on African life, bitterly indicts European colonial administration in West Africa, particularly that of the French. The longer you spend traveling and writing about Africa, the more you appreciate that many of today’s problems have colonial roots and that the scarring goes deeper than you once thought. You start to notice the difference in the colonial legacies left by withdrawing powers. This book was first published in 1935 and is about a young anthropologist, Geoffrey Gorer and an African-American ballet dancer called Feral Benga on a trip across West Africa to study the native dances. They start in Senegal and head east. It’s a kind of road trip, and the dances only play a small part in the book. It’s very much about the conditions Gorer finds as he crosses the various borders, the divide between blacks and whites and the difference between the English and the French-speaking colonies.

In Africa Dances, Gorer takes the reader on an odyssey across West Africa in a devastating critique of colonial rule, which is shown to be destroying African society while Christian missionaries undermine indigenous morality. Africa Dances captures the rich physical and psychological detail of African village life – from food and architecture to witch doctors, dance and magic. Gorer witnesses men diving for three-quarters of an hour without coming up for breath, witch doctors conjuring thunder-storms out of clear blue skies and chameleon fetishists whose skin changes from a dirty white to almost black. This is a place where if you believed, you could.

Precolonial Black Africa by Cheikh Anta Diop

Image by Celette from Wikimedia

Diop’s relatively short book focuses on West Africa and some of his ideas on African history are controversial. The core of the controversy is twofold, one is his claim that ancient Egyptians were black, and the second is that there is a historical unity in West African civilisation with migration from the east of Africa populating the continent. The basis for this thesis relies quite heavily on similarities in totemic names across the region as well as cultural similarities. These days there is some support for the migration of populations out of the Nile basin to West Africa from DNA evidence. The book is about black African civilisation before colonialism, how they governed themselves, ran their economies and so on. Africa’s ethnic societies, some of which still exist, take decisions by consensus not by a dictatorship. Traditional rulers – chiefs and kings were surrounded by councils, without which they are powerless. And these rulers could be recalled or removed for dereliction of duty.

The larger polities in traditional Africa – empires (Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Great Zimbabwe) and kingdoms (the Ashanti Kingdom, the Ga Kingdom) – were all confederacies, characterised by decentralisation of power and a great deal of devolution of authority.  He argues that modern political systems such as military dictatorships and one-party-state systems – are alien to Africa. The relevance of culture in development is increasingly being espoused by Africans. Furthermore, markets were ubiquitous in Africa before the colonialists set foot in Africa. There were great market towns such as Timbuktu, Kano, Salaga, Mombasa and Sofala in pre-colonial Africa. Prices in Africa’s traditional markets were determined by bargaining, not fixed by chiefs or kings. In West Africa, for example, market activity has been dominated by women for centuries. Free-trade routes crisscrossed the continent, along which people and goods moved freely – the most famous example was the Trans-Saharan trade route.

It’s Our Turn to Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistle-Blower, by Michaela Wrong

“On one level, It’s Our Turn to Eat reads like a John Le Carré novel…. On a deeper and much richer level, the book is an analysis of how and why Kenya descended into political violence.” — Washington Post

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

No view of contemporary sub-Saharan Africa is complete without taking official corruption into account. This story, which focuses on one courageous Kenyan man who tried to expose some of the most blatant examples of embezzlement by senior government officials, brings to light the complexity of the issue and its impact on African society. Michela Wrong’s account of how a pillar of the establishment turned whistle-blower, becoming simultaneously one of the most hated and admired men in Kenya, grips like a political thriller. At the same time, by exploring the factors that continue to blight Africa—ethnic favoritism, government corruption, and the smug complacency of Western donor nations—It’s Our Turn to Eat probes the very roots of the continent’s predicament. It is a story that no one concerned with our global future can afford to miss.

In January 2003, Kenya—seen as the most stable country in Africa—was hailed as a model of democracy after the peaceful election of its new president, Mwai Kibaki. By appointing respected longtime reformer John Githongo as anticorruption czar, the new Kikuyu government signaled its determination to end the corrupt practices that had tainted the previous regime. Yet only two years later, Githongo himself was on the run, having discovered that the new administration was ruthlessly pillaging public funds. “Under former President Moi, his Kalenjin tribesmen ate. Now it’s our turn to eat,” politicians and civil servants close to the president told Githongo. As a member of the government and the president’s own Kikuyu tribe, Githongo was expected to cooperate.

History of Africa by Kevin Shillington

Kevin Shillington (on the left) at the presentation of his book.Image by joe Laurence from Wikimedia

This fourth edition of this best-selling core history textbook offers a richly illustrated, single-volume, narrative introduction to African history, from a hugely respected authority in the field. The market-leading range of illustrated material from prior editions is now further improved, featuring not only additional and redrawn maps and a refreshed selection of photographs, but the addition of full colour to make these even more instructive, evocative and attractive. Already hugely popular in introductory African History courses, the book has been widely praised for its engaging and readable style, and is unrivalled in scope, both geographically and chronologically – while many competitors limit themselves to certain regions or eras, Shillington chronicles the entire continent, from prehistory right up to the present day.

For this new edition, both content and layout have been thoroughly refreshed and restructured to make this wealth of material easily navigable, and even more appealing to students unfamiliar with the subject. Moreover, building on the book’s established reputation and success, the previous third edition had been revised and updated throughout in light of new research and recent events. A companion website n also supports the text. Kevin Shillington traces the history of the continent through the ancient world to medieval, modern and contemporary Africa. He explores the early emergence of farming; the kingdoms of Ancient Egypt, Aksum and Meroe; medieval empires; the spread and impact of Islam; the role of trade and religion; and the development of Africa’s wide range of pastoral, agricultural and hunting.

The Best Books to read about History of Africa: Fiction

Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe (1958)

“A true classic of world literature . . . A masterpiece that has inspired generations of writers in Nigeria, across Africa, and around the world.” —Barack Obama

image by McDowell Obelesnky from Wikimedia

Chinua Achebe’s first novel Things Fall Apart (1958) was considered his magnum opus and is the most widely-read book in modern African literature. It is a classic narrative about Africa’s cataclysmic encounter with Europe as it establishes a colonial presence on the continent. Told through the fictional experiences of Okonkwo, a wealthy and fearless Igbo warrior of Umuofia in the late 1800s, Things Fall Apart explores one man’s futile resistance to the devaluing of his Igbo traditions by British political and religious forces and his despair as his community capitulates to the powerful new order. The multi-award-winning debut novel is about a culture on the verge of change. Chronicling the life of the ambitious protagonist Okonkwo, a leader of an Igbo community, to the events leading up to his exile for accidentally killing a man. Things Fall Apart deals with how the prospect and reality of change affect various characters. Chinua Achebe addresses the problematic intrusion of white missionaries and colonial government into Igbo society and describes the disintegration of Okonkwo and his village using Igbo proverbs. Perhaps the best-known African novel of the 20th century, Things Fall Apart is a serious tour de force and essential reading for anyone interested in Africa. Published in 1958, it is unquestionably the world’s most widely read African novel, having sold more than eight million copies in English and been translated into fifty languages.

Half of a Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Love, Loss, And War In Post-Independence Africa

Image by Islahaddow from Wikimedia

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie illuminates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra’s impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in southeastern Nigeria. She reminds the world of the lopsided Biafran war of independence (1967–70) that pitted the ill-equipped Igbo (Ibo) people of southeastern Nigeria against the massive forces of their national government, actively backed by the British. You will experience this tumultuous decade alongside five unforgettable characters: Ugwu, a thirteen-year-old houseboy who works for Odenigbo, a university professor full of revolutionary zeal; Olanna, the professor’s beautiful young mistress who has abandoned her life in Lagos for a dusty town and her lover’s charm; and Richard, a shy young Englishman infatuated with Olanna’s willful twin sister Kainene. In this compelling novel, the action shifts back and forth from the early sixties, shortly after Nigeria gained its independence from Britain, to the time of war. Gradually, the reader comes to understand the roots of wartime events as the narrative delves more deeply into the secrets that shadow Olanna and Kainene’s very different lives.

The Nigerian civil war of the 1960s was a signature event of the times. Following the massacre of thousands of Igbo living or traveling in Nigeria’s north by the dominant Hausa-speaking people, the Igbo-dominated southeast declared its independence, establishing the nation of Biafra. Despite recognition from many African nations and humanitarian aid from the West, the 13.5 million people of Biafra were ill-matched against Nigeria with more than three times the population and military support from Harold Wilson’s Britain. Nigeria’s principal weapon in the war was starvation. More than a million civilians died. This was just part of the price paid by the people of the region for the creation of Nigeria in 1911 when the British Governor-General merged the south and north and his wife named the result. Half of a Yellow Sun is a tremendously evocative novel of the promise, hope, and disappointment of the Biafran war.”

The Best Books about History of Africa Through African Eyes

Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa by Dambisa Moyo

Image by Dambisa Moyo from Wikimedia

In the past fifty years, more than $1 trillion in development-related aid has been transferred from rich countries to Africa. Has this assistance improved the lives of Africans? In Dead Aid, Dambisa Moyo answers this question by arguing that official aid is easy money that fosters corruption and distorts economies, creating a culture of dependency and economic laziness. She argues that aid has not merely failed to work, but has compounded Africa’s problems. She cites figures showing the exponential growth in poverty in an area of burgeoning aid. For example, 10 percent of Africans were living in poverty in the 1970s compared to 70 percent now. This means that roughly 600million of Africa’s billion people are now trapped in poverty. When she talks about aid she means systemic aid, the vast sums regularly transferred from government to government or via institution and aims her harshest criticism at the flow of aid from the governments of developed nations to African governments and also aid from institutions such as the World Bank.

In Dead Aid, Dambisa Moyo describes the state of postwar development policy in Africa today and unflinchingly confronts one of the greatest myths of our time: that billions of dollars in aid sent from wealthy countries to developing African nations has helped to reduce poverty and increase growth. In fact, poverty levels continue to escalate and growth rates have steadily declined—and millions continue to suffer. Provocatively drawing a sharp contrast between African countries that have rejected the aid route and prospered and others that have become aid-dependent and seen poverty increase, Moyo illuminates the way in which overreliance on aid has trapped developing nations in a vicious circle of aid dependency, corruption, market distortion and further poverty, leaving them with nothing but the “need” for more aid. Dead Aid is an unsettling yet optimistic work, a powerful challenge to the assumptions and arguments that support a profoundly misguided development policy in Africa. And it is a clarion call to a new, more hopeful vision of how to address the desperate poverty that plagues millions.

African Historical Epics & Ancient Kingdoms

Sunjata: A West African Epic of the Mande Peoples

Image by Unknown author from Wikimedia

Sunjata is an epic poem of the Malinke people that tells the story of the hero Sundiata Keita (died 1255), the founder of the Mali Empire. The epic is an instance of oral tradition, going back to the 13th century and narrated by generations of griot poets or jeliw (djeli). There is no single or authoritative version.  Material pertaining to the epic first began to be collected during the early 20th century in French Sudan, notably by the French elite school École William Ponty, resulting in the “modern” version of the tale as considered standard today, as published in “novelistic” form in French translation by Djibril Tamsir Niane in 1960 (English translation 1965). A pillar of the West African oral tradition for centuries, this epic traces the adventures and achievements of the Mande hero, Sunjata, as he liberates his people from Sumaworo Kante, the sorcerer king of Soso, and establishes the great medieval empire of Mali. David Conrad conveys the strong narrative thrust of the Sunjata epic in his presentation of substantial excerpts from his translation of a performance by Djanka Tassey Conde. Readers approaching the epic for the first time will appreciate the translation’s highly readable, poetic English as well as Conrad’s informative Introduction and notes. Scholars will find the familiar heroes and heroines taking on new dimensions, secondary characters gaining increased prominence, and previously unknown figures emerging from obscurity.

Tutankhamun’s Armies: Battle and Conquest during Ancient Egypt’s Late Eighteenth Dynasty by John Coleman Darnell

Image by Yan Forget from Wikimedia

Based on ancient Egyptian texts and diplomatic correspondence, inscriptions on stone monuments, and information gleaned from a host of ancient artifacts and private tombs, this in-depth exploration of Pharaoh’s army fills a yawning gap in our understanding of ancient Egyptian military history, and thus, the civilization as a whole. Tutankhamun’s age was one of rich tombs and religious obsessions, but it was also a time of complicated and ultimately successful political machinations and military campaigns. From the reign of the “heretic king” Akhenaten, through the sovereignty of the “boy king”, King Tut, and ending with Horemhab, the last king of the 18th Dynasty, “Tutankhamun’s Armies” fills what has been a gap in military history with a vivid look at the history of weaponry, tactics, and negotiations of this fascinating time. Complete with a detailed historical and geographic introduction, this book is an excellent primer for study.

The furious thunder of thousands of hooves, the clatter and sheen of bronze armor sparkling in the desert sun, the crunch of wooden wheels racing across a rock-strewn battlefield and leading this terrifying chariot charge, the gallant Pharaoh, the ribbons of his blue war crown streaming behind him as he launches yet another arrow into the panicking mass of his soon-to-be-routed enemies. While scenes like the one depicted above did occur in ancient Egypt, they represent only one small aspect of the vast, complex, and sophisticated military machine that secured defended, and expanded the borders of the empire during the late Eighteenth Dynasty. In Tutankhamun’s Armies, you’ll discover the harsh reality behind the imperial splendor of the New Kingdom and gain a new appreciation for the formidable Egyptian army from pharaoh to the foot soldier. This vivid and absorbing chronicle will forever change the way you think about the glories and riches of ancient Egypt.

Njinga of Angola: Africa’s Warrior Queen by Linda M. Heywood

“The fascinating story of arguably the greatest queen in sub-Saharan African history, who surely deserves a place in the pantheon of revolutionary world leaders.” -Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Image by Achille Devéria (1800–1857) from Wikimedia

Though largely unknown in the West, the seventeenth-century African queen Njinga was one of the most multifaceted rulers in history, a woman who rivaled Queen Elizabeth I in political cunning and military prowess. In this landmark book, based on nine years of research and drawing from missionary accounts, letters, and colonial records, Linda Heywood reveals how this legendary queen skillfully navigated and ultimately transcended the ruthless, male-dominated power struggles of her time. Njinga of Angola is an excellent biography of one of the most famous heroes in African history. In the introduction, Heywood states that she is writing a biography of an African Queen that would take its place among the biographies of famous European queens, and she succeeds in doing just that. Historians of Africa who study the period prior to colonialism rarely have access to reliable written records or even names of important historical figures, but Queen Njinga is an exception. There are Portuguese records documenting her amazing life, although, of course, the observations in these documents are made from a Portuguese perspective. However, Heywood moves beyond the archival work to include her own interviews with African elders who have maintained the traditions of Njinga in oral forms, as well as recent historical narratives of the region. Queen Njinga’s life is not only an important addition to African history but also to world history and international gender studies.