AN AFRICAN HISTORY OF AFRICA, from the dawn of humanity to independence

532pp., illus., maps, paperback, Reprint, Penguin, London, (2024) 2025

ISBN: 9780753560143

Zeinab Badawi's history of Africa told from an African perspective. She visited over 30 African countries and interviewed historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and local storytellers, and has included their knowledge, observations and wisdom throughout the book.

"Both a tour d'horizon and a tour de force, marvellously readable and beautifully written. This is a book that should be read by anyone who is interested in Africa, by anyone who thinks they know all they need to know about Africa, and above all by anyone who has no interest in Africa at all. It will transform their views of the continent, its peoples and its histories. I cannot recommend it too strongly or praise it too highly." Professor Sir David Cannadine

"Epic, magnificent, brilliant. Zeinab Badawi's soaring African history is as majestic, thrilling and vibrant as the continent of Africa itself. A moving personal journey, an investigation into the earliest years of human life, a powerful manifesto for historical research and national memory, this genius book - bursting with stories of incredible courage and determination, from battling empires, colonial fightback, ending the slave trade and forming nations - is a tour de force and entirely unforgettable." Professor Kate Williams

Zeinab Badawi, a Sudanese-British television and radio journalist and former BBC presenter, is currently President of SOAS, University of London. She is an honorary fellow of her alma mater, St Hilda's College, Oxford, 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, 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.