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Black and British: A short, essential history for young readers by David Olusoga

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Black and British: A short, essential history for young readers

Narrator
Ben Onwukwe
Publisher
Pan Macmillan
Publish Date
2 October 2020
Run Time
3 hours 19 minutes
Format
Audiobook

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What to expect

Winner of the Book of the Year, Children's Illustrated and Non-Fiction at The British Book Awards, 2021

Inspire young readers with this short, essential introduction to Black British history by award-winning historian and broadcaster David Olusoga.

When did Africans first come to Britain?

Who are the well-dressed black children in Georgian paintings?

Why did the American Civil War disrupt the Industrial Revolution?

These and many other questions are answered in this essential introduction to 1800 years of Black British history: from the Roman Africans who guarded Hadrian’s Wall right up to the present day.

This children's version of the bestseller Black and British: A Forgotten History is illustrated with maps, photos and portraits.

Critics Review

  • For readers aged 12+, the book asks some thought-provoking questions and answers them in a smart and thorough style that will teach adults as much as it will children. We can see why it’s been called a must-read.

    Evening Standard

  • In non fiction, David Olusoga’s authoritative text has been condensed for children in Black and British: A Short, Essential History (Macmillan). It ranges from the first Africans to come to Britain to the shameful Windrush scandal, and takes in the industrial revolution, cotton grown on slave plantations and the black soldiers who fought for Britain in the first world war. Olusoga’s book conveys with calm clarity why all British children should be taught black history

    Guardian and Online

  • Discovering history is as entertaining as it is informative

    People’s Friend

  • And to the present day: David Olusoga is the best possible person to write Black and British: A Short, Essential History (Pan Macmillan). This new, updated edition of his 2016 book is aimed at younger readers, and it appears at a time when many people are debating the best ways to tell histories of empire and race in the classroom. Olusoga describes it as "the book I wish I had been given to read when I was at school", and I couldn't agree more

    Yasmin Khan, BBC History Magazine

See more reviews
  • In this new title, Olusoga has distilled and reframed his bestselling Black and British: A Forgotten History for younger readers. Spanning the period from Roman Britain to the modern day, Olusoga’s expertly crafted narrative makes history engaging for a new audience in clever and accessible ways. Olusoga has by no means “dumbed-down” his research from Black and British: A Forgotten History, and he forces young people to engage directly with Britain’s often-brutal past, discussing overlooked or ignored histories. Black and British: A Short, Essential History clearly demonstrates that Black History is all our history – a vital and important book.

    The Scotsman

  • An absolute must-read for adults and secondary school children alike.

    BookTrust

  • Let’s face it, some history books can be quite boring unless you’re particularly into history, like me, but this highly accessible text from renowned broadcaster and historian David Olusoga is a fascinating eye-opening quick read that you won’t be able to put down. Adapted from his best-selling adult version, this clearly written balanced evidence-based history book for 12+ concisely charts the forgotten histories of Black people who have inhabited Britain from Roman times right through to the present day. The most arresting part for me was learning more detail about the logistics of the transatlantic slave trade and Britain’s absolutely pivotal role in the process - something that has been completely airbrushed out of the teaching of British history. But no longer - this book sets the record straight and is an essential addition for your libraries. As it’s more suitable for teens upwards I won’t be writing a long review, though I’d say primary teachers might want to think about reading it for their own knowledge

    Cocoa Girl Magazine

  • Brilliant, essential, accessible introduction to Black British history. Should be compulsory teaching at school. The author has a wonderful storytelling voice which you can hear coming out of the pages

    It's all about Stories Blog

  • Black history is all but absent from the British curriculum, making David Olusoga’s Black and British: A Short, Essential History ( Macmillan) all the more vital. With this new edition of his adult bestseller, aimed at readers aged 12 and over, Olusoga chronicles 1,800 years of black people in Britain, from Roman times to the present day

    Observer, part of a 'best of 2020 books' round-up

User Reviews

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Details

Author
David Olusoga
Narrator
Ben Onwukwe
Duration
3 hours 19 minutes
Release Date
2 October 2020
ISBN
9781529066968
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Pan Macmillan
Genre
Children’s / Teenage general interest: History and the past, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Racism and anti-racism, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Prejudice and intolerance

Synopsis

Winner of the Book of the Year, Children's Illustrated and Non-Fiction at The British Book Awards, 2021Inspire young readers with this short, essential introduction to Black British history by award-winning historian and broadcaster David Olusoga.When did Africans first come to Britain?Who are the well-dressed black children in Georgian paintings?Why did the American Civil War disrupt the Industrial Revolution?These and many other questions are answered in this essential introduction to 1800 years of Black British history: from the Roman Africans who guarded Hadrian’s Wall right up to the present day.This children's version of the bestseller Black and British: A Forgotten History is illustrated with maps, photos and portraits.

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