An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Civilisation to Independence

You would find it hard to object to the premise of this book, which covers the history of Africa from the origin of the species to the joyous freedoms of nations’ independence, and taking in ancient civilisations and oft-neglected African empires, as well as colonialism and its evils, but from the perspective of Africans themselves. Or ourselves, which is a crucial difference. As Sudanese-born Badawi writes in the introduction, “everyone is originally from Africa, and this book is therefore for everyone”. And it is a glorious read, although you might find yourself wishing the story had fewer historical events, and more narrative richness. But perhaps prompting the reader to seek more is precisely the point.