"Un-put-down-able, enlightening and critically-needed Black British history for younger readers"
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2022 Information Books 3-14 | Winner of Book of the Year, Children's: Illustrated and Non-Fiction at The British Book Awards | Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year 2020
Adapted for younger readers from his seminal adult edition of the same book, David Olusoga’s Black and British presents an engaging, illuminating and critically needed account of Black British history. Indeed, this succinct, impactful edition also serves as an excellent primer for adults.
The introduction frames the book in the context of contemporary Britain - “Britain’s population is changing. More of us than ever are members of families that include people of different skin colours and ethnicities. Black history helps explain how national history is intertwined with our family histories. It helps us make sense of the country we are today.”
And of course, contrary to popular perception, Black history has long been entwined with British history - it is British history.
As the book reveals through lively, clear text - supplemented by fascinating maps and visuals - there’s evidence that Africans were part of the Roman army stationed in Britain as far back as 253AD. And contrary to the typical representation of Tudor England as being a white entity, several hundred Black Tudors have been found in historical records. Then, as European trade with Africa exploded - spearheaded by the Portuguese and Spanish who’d begun to buy and transport slaves from Africa - Britain wanted in on the lucrative action, and soon started shipping slaves to their Caribbean colonies. Come the early Georgian era (1714-1776) an increasing number of enslaved Africans were brought to Britain to serve wealthy families, as evidenced by the portraits and newspaper pieces reproduced in this book.
Also covering the late Georgian era, the Victorian period, the two World Wars, through to the continuing Windrush Scandal, Olusoga has done an incredible job of correcting misconceptions and presenting the truth of Black British history in engaging, lucid style.
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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 the 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.
Macmillan Children's Books will donate 50p from every copy sold to The Black Curriculum.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Black and British: A short, essential history and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-14 years old
Black and British: A short, essential history features in the following genres: Featured Books for 11+ readers, Recommendations, History, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, PSHE: Multiculturalism, Diversity and Inclusion, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Featured Books for 13+ readers, Audiobooks of the Month
Black and British: A short, essential history is available in Audiobook, Paperback
Black and British: A short, essential history was written by David Olusoga and published by Macmillan Children's Books an imprint of Pan Macmillan
Black and British: A short, essential history has 217 pages
£8.09
