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The Forgotten Era

Nigeria Before British Rule

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The Forgotten Era

By: Max Siollun
Narrated by: Ben Onwukwe
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Summary

Much is known about what Europeans did in Africa, yet very little is known about Africa's history before its colonization. In this surprising exploration, Max Siollun uncovers societies that were not part of a backward "Dark Continent," but which instead had rich lore to rival the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Precolonial West Africa had a mesmerizing cast of revolutionaries, intellectuals, innovators, and villainous assassins. These include the family that overthrew three different 1000-year-old empires, the royal court official who engineered the death of four kings, and the young enslaved boy who became the first Black bishop in history, befriending Queen Victoria along the way.

This story of a dynamic and artistic people is a vital listen for those who want to discover a forgotten era of West Africa.

©2025 Max Siollun (P)2025 Tantor Media
Africa Colonialism & Post-Colonialism Politics & Government Royalty
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The narrator is a moderately well known English actor, so was very weird to hear him heading it in a hammy Nigerian accent. The book itself is informative but not the easiest to follow - it covers 400 years but jumps back and forth based on ethnic groups - so the dramatic pauses and over-the-top pronunciations didn't help.

Would be better without the fake accent.

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