"Fascinating, accessible, beautifully illustrated, and a very important, necessary revision to the history of the British Isles"
With her trademark fluidity of language and clarity of communication, Atinuke has written the perfect antidote to the standard “white” view of British history and will ensure that Black History is not confined to a single month, nor entirely focused on Slavery and Empire.
Choosing to start from the origins of Homo Sapiens in Africa and explaining how evolution and migration has impacted upon the development of the species, makes two things abundantly clear. Britain’s history began with migration about 12,000 years ago and those migrants had black skin. Paler skin only gradually evolved in northern lands in response to the lack of sunshine to form the vitamin D essential to human health and the first white migrants to Britian arrived here no more than 4,500 years ago.
This is only the first of the fascinating facts to be learnt as the story moves through the Romans, Tudors, Georgians, Victorians, World Wars, all the way up to the Windrush generation, colonial independence to the current day, showcasing in every period the contributions made by Black British lives.
Atinuke’s skill with storytelling makes for compelling reading and she does not pull any punches in telling the complex story of slavery, conquest, colonisation, industrialisation and war. The stunning illustrations and clever layout and timelines make their own effective contribution to understanding. The book powerfully concludes with a page on Black Lives Matter and the continuing fight against racism. This extraordinary, impactful and eye opening book is an absolutely essential purchase for schools and parents.
