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It's a Continent: Unravelling Africa's history one country at a time
Why is Africa still perceived as a country when there are around 2,000 languages spoken on the continent alone?
IT'S A CONTINENT aims to counter the misconception that Africa is a country by breaking down this vast, beautiful and complex continent into regions and countries. Each of the 54 African countries has a unique history and culture, and this book highlights the key historical moments that have shaped each nation and contributed to its global position, as well as within the African continent.
Each chapter (focusing on a different country) of the book brings to light stories and African figures that have been marginalised in mainstream education, in a humorous and easily-digestible format, breaking down facts and events that you wouldn't believe happened.
Why is the Liberian flag so similar to the Stars and Stripes of the United States? Have you heard about Thomas Sankara's quest for Burkina Faso's self-sufficiency? African soldiers' contribution to World War II?
There are many aspects of history that mainstream education doesn't address, and this book allows the reader to understand the consequences of historical colonial activities within the African Continent, and how many African countries continue to re-build. The majority of countries within the continent are young, not just in population but in age, as many only gained independence in the 20th Century. IT'S A CONTINENT is the bold and brilliant book for readers who want to gain an understanding of things you were never taught in school.
IT'S A CONTINENT aims to counter the misconception that Africa is a country by breaking down this vast, beautiful and complex continent into regions and countries. Each of the 54 African countries has a unique history and culture, and this book highlights the key historical moments that have shaped each nation and contributed to its global position, as well as within the African continent.
Each chapter (focusing on a different country) of the book brings to light stories and African figures that have been marginalised in mainstream education, in a humorous and easily-digestible format, breaking down facts and events that you wouldn't believe happened.
Why is the Liberian flag so similar to the Stars and Stripes of the United States? Have you heard about Thomas Sankara's quest for Burkina Faso's self-sufficiency? African soldiers' contribution to World War II?
There are many aspects of history that mainstream education doesn't address, and this book allows the reader to understand the consequences of historical colonial activities within the African Continent, and how many African countries continue to re-build. The majority of countries within the continent are young, not just in population but in age, as many only gained independence in the 20th Century. IT'S A CONTINENT is the bold and brilliant book for readers who want to gain an understanding of things you were never taught in school.
355 pages, Hardcover
Published May 26, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
October 31, 2022
Although the chapters are interesting and I learned a lot about the stories being told, they only tell a story about one person or a single happening in the country. The chapters are as a result quite short and straight to the point. The idea behind the book is very nice, that's why I bought it. It gives you a comprehensive and short story about each country in Africa and you get to know countries a little better that are often left in the background of world politics and live in the shadows of countries like South Africa, Kenya and Egypt.
This book however is littered with the opinions of the writers themselves by giving sarcastic comments in the middle of chapters and other remarks. You get the feeling that they have an agenda.
It is very victim-opressor based and most of the stories are about colonial times or post-colonial times, I would like to have seen more information about pre-colonial times.
There are also many spelling and sentencing mistakes throughout the book which were sometimes annoying
As the book stand however, it's a good start in learning a little bit about every country and serves well for further investigation into a country that you found interesting. So I give them thumbs up for that
This book however is littered with the opinions of the writers themselves by giving sarcastic comments in the middle of chapters and other remarks. You get the feeling that they have an agenda.
It is very victim-opressor based and most of the stories are about colonial times or post-colonial times, I would like to have seen more information about pre-colonial times.
There are also many spelling and sentencing mistakes throughout the book which were sometimes annoying
As the book stand however, it's a good start in learning a little bit about every country and serves well for further investigation into a country that you found interesting. So I give them thumbs up for that
June 25, 2024
I went into this book with middling expectations, but still excited for an interesting learning experience.
First of all, the positives; I loved the structure of this book! I personally felt the podcast format of going from one country to another, and one region to the next, translated well into a non-fiction book. Also, the stories that the authors chose to tell were, more often than not, pretty interesting and definitely new information to me personally (which only confirms the need for a book like this!).
Sadly, that's where the positive feedback ends for me.
This book was absolutely full of typos, which I personally found very distracting. At times there were repeated sentences, as well as misspellings (which was especially confusing when a word was presented only twice, each time spelt differently - which one is correct?!), and most frustratingly, *mis-translations* (specifically between French and English). This links in to an unfortunate theme in this book, which is the lack of nuance presented by the authors on Francophone ex-colonies, 'le francophonie', and decolonisation within the French empire... The decision to portray Mayotte remaining a DOM of France as an entirely negative event, indicative of self hatred on the part of the Mayottais, was ahistoric at best, and infantilising at worst.
I wouldn't call myself an expert on the (de)colonisation of Francophone Africa by ANY means. I did a degree in French Studies, with a focus on the French language and French-Caribbean literature and history. However, there are some undeniable similarities in the treatment of Frances' Caribbean and African colonies (namely; terrible and brutal oppression), and I found that the authors completely failed to accurately portray the nuances of the state of Francophone countries, ex-colonies and peoples, both those who chose to become independent, and those who opted to remain as DOMs, or maintain an affiliation with Metropolitan France.
Other than this main gripe, I have several other issues with the book;
- The writing style sucked. It read like an essay written by a first-year undergrad student, interspersed with adolescent commentary that I think was supposed to come off as witty, but fell flat.
- Inconsistent sourcing.
- The analysis was shallow, in my opinion. The book uses various lenses of analysis - Feminist, Marxist, Post-Colonial - and most of the time, these analyses were unfortunately one-dimensional and bland. The only way I can describe it is like 'pop-history' or 'pop-academia'.
- A touch of whitewashing of African history. Yayyyyy.
-Again; typos, mistranslations, misspellings... did they not have an editor?!!
Overall the book kinda sucked. It had potential, and I was super disappointed to find shallow, whitewashed, unimaginative and utterly uninteresting mini-essays for chapters, written in the style of a teenager.
First of all, the positives; I loved the structure of this book! I personally felt the podcast format of going from one country to another, and one region to the next, translated well into a non-fiction book. Also, the stories that the authors chose to tell were, more often than not, pretty interesting and definitely new information to me personally (which only confirms the need for a book like this!).
Sadly, that's where the positive feedback ends for me.
This book was absolutely full of typos, which I personally found very distracting. At times there were repeated sentences, as well as misspellings (which was especially confusing when a word was presented only twice, each time spelt differently - which one is correct?!), and most frustratingly, *mis-translations* (specifically between French and English). This links in to an unfortunate theme in this book, which is the lack of nuance presented by the authors on Francophone ex-colonies, 'le francophonie', and decolonisation within the French empire... The decision to portray Mayotte remaining a DOM of France as an entirely negative event, indicative of self hatred on the part of the Mayottais, was ahistoric at best, and infantilising at worst.
I wouldn't call myself an expert on the (de)colonisation of Francophone Africa by ANY means. I did a degree in French Studies, with a focus on the French language and French-Caribbean literature and history. However, there are some undeniable similarities in the treatment of Frances' Caribbean and African colonies (namely; terrible and brutal oppression), and I found that the authors completely failed to accurately portray the nuances of the state of Francophone countries, ex-colonies and peoples, both those who chose to become independent, and those who opted to remain as DOMs, or maintain an affiliation with Metropolitan France.
Other than this main gripe, I have several other issues with the book;
- The writing style sucked. It read like an essay written by a first-year undergrad student, interspersed with adolescent commentary that I think was supposed to come off as witty, but fell flat.
- Inconsistent sourcing.
- The analysis was shallow, in my opinion. The book uses various lenses of analysis - Feminist, Marxist, Post-Colonial - and most of the time, these analyses were unfortunately one-dimensional and bland. The only way I can describe it is like 'pop-history' or 'pop-academia'.
- A touch of whitewashing of African history. Yayyyyy.
-Again; typos, mistranslations, misspellings... did they not have an editor?!!
Overall the book kinda sucked. It had potential, and I was super disappointed to find shallow, whitewashed, unimaginative and utterly uninteresting mini-essays for chapters, written in the style of a teenager.
December 3, 2022
Have you ever read a history book punctuated with the sarcastic comments of an angry teenager? Well I feel like I just did and that was extremely painful.
The promise of the book - giving you insights on a significant point in history/important historic figure of each African country - peters out as soon as you realize that in 9 countries out of them, the approach is : "Let's take one of the thing colonising nations did in this country and blame them for every single thing that's gone wrong ever since".
And don't get me wrong, the vicious effects of colonisation are at the base of a lot of problems encountered by these still young nations. But anyone who knows the topic also knows that colonialism is not the only pain in the equation. Putting every blame on the white male might seem very en vogue, but it's also very lazy and one of those arguments that leaves no chance to self-questioning and looking forward.
The same book by someone knowledgeable - or just someone who's set foot in Africa at least once in their life - would be awesome.
The promise of the book - giving you insights on a significant point in history/important historic figure of each African country - peters out as soon as you realize that in 9 countries out of them, the approach is : "Let's take one of the thing colonising nations did in this country and blame them for every single thing that's gone wrong ever since".
And don't get me wrong, the vicious effects of colonisation are at the base of a lot of problems encountered by these still young nations. But anyone who knows the topic also knows that colonialism is not the only pain in the equation. Putting every blame on the white male might seem very en vogue, but it's also very lazy and one of those arguments that leaves no chance to self-questioning and looking forward.
The same book by someone knowledgeable - or just someone who's set foot in Africa at least once in their life - would be awesome.
February 9, 2024
THINGS IVE LEARNT
- Gaddafi was a man of the peeps before he became a raving despot
- France is still colonising one of four of the Comoran islands and using it for military intelligence
- There are STILL TWO European cities inside Morocco at this very moment!!!
- Russia tried to colonise parts of Africa and lowkey failed miserably
- Taytu and Menelik II are absolute couple goals
- Dr Wangari was a BADGYAL
- Queen Nzinga of Angola was a feminist warrior baddass and far superior to her brother
- The Germans practiced their concentration camps in Namibia first before WWII
- Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso fame made men go to market, buy the ingredients and cook on Women’s Day so they would understand what life was like for women
- Omg RIP Amilcar Cabral - what a guy. Wonder what would have happened to Africa had the Europeans not assassinated anyone with revolutionary and innovative ideas x
- About the richest man in the world Mansa Musa who single-handedly crashed the value of gold by giving it out too liberally (goals) jeff bezos could never
- Gaddafi was a man of the peeps before he became a raving despot
- France is still colonising one of four of the Comoran islands and using it for military intelligence
- There are STILL TWO European cities inside Morocco at this very moment!!!
- Russia tried to colonise parts of Africa and lowkey failed miserably
- Taytu and Menelik II are absolute couple goals
- Dr Wangari was a BADGYAL
- Queen Nzinga of Angola was a feminist warrior baddass and far superior to her brother
- The Germans practiced their concentration camps in Namibia first before WWII
- Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso fame made men go to market, buy the ingredients and cook on Women’s Day so they would understand what life was like for women
- Omg RIP Amilcar Cabral - what a guy. Wonder what would have happened to Africa had the Europeans not assassinated anyone with revolutionary and innovative ideas x
- About the richest man in the world Mansa Musa who single-handedly crashed the value of gold by giving it out too liberally (goals) jeff bezos could never
September 25, 2022
Turns out Mobutu and Gaddafi’s legacies are not as straightforwardly negative as they may appear. The balanced reportage of their deeds — and those of other despots — respects the intelligence of the reader by not guiding them to any pre-conceived conclusion.
For clarification on artificial borders, the legitimacy of democracy, and ethnicities made up by colonisers, consult Madimba and Ukata’s history book for non-historians. It’s accessible tone belies the thoroughness of its research. By no means is it a comprehensive summary of Africa’s 54 states. You are encouraged to use it as a springboard for your own continued interest.
For clarification on artificial borders, the legitimacy of democracy, and ethnicities made up by colonisers, consult Madimba and Ukata’s history book for non-historians. It’s accessible tone belies the thoroughness of its research. By no means is it a comprehensive summary of Africa’s 54 states. You are encouraged to use it as a springboard for your own continued interest.
October 13, 2024
For me, this book was a great idea, but it fell short of what it could have offered.
To be fair to the authors, they explicitly state that their goal is to provide just a sneak peek into the diversity of events, characters, and topics related to the African continent—which predominantly go unnoticed in other regions of the world due to a Western/Euro-centric focus in education programs, media, etc. They do deliver on this promise, and it left me wanting to continue researching and learning more.
So, why the 2-star rating? I think there were two main reasons:
1. Lack of focus: The chapters varied greatly. From one country to the next, you could jump from a biography of a 21st-century figure back to ancient times, and then to the story of disputed territories. The miscellany was too broad for my taste. I think defining the book around a more specific time or thematic period could have made it more cohesive and robust.
2. Overly brief chapters: The chapters were excessively short, which made the content feel a bit too superficial and simplistic.
That said, I still think the effort was commendable, and I liked the authors (though I wasn’t a fan of their writing style, but that’s a minor point). Hopefully, if they ever decide to publish a second edition, they can offer a more comprehensive and in-depth book.
Would I recommend the book? Yes, if you’re completely unfamiliar with Africa or have no idea where to start exploring the immense diversity the continent's Histories (yes, I mean it in plural) and cultures has to offer.
To be fair to the authors, they explicitly state that their goal is to provide just a sneak peek into the diversity of events, characters, and topics related to the African continent—which predominantly go unnoticed in other regions of the world due to a Western/Euro-centric focus in education programs, media, etc. They do deliver on this promise, and it left me wanting to continue researching and learning more.
So, why the 2-star rating? I think there were two main reasons:
1. Lack of focus: The chapters varied greatly. From one country to the next, you could jump from a biography of a 21st-century figure back to ancient times, and then to the story of disputed territories. The miscellany was too broad for my taste. I think defining the book around a more specific time or thematic period could have made it more cohesive and robust.
2. Overly brief chapters: The chapters were excessively short, which made the content feel a bit too superficial and simplistic.
That said, I still think the effort was commendable, and I liked the authors (though I wasn’t a fan of their writing style, but that’s a minor point). Hopefully, if they ever decide to publish a second edition, they can offer a more comprehensive and in-depth book.
Would I recommend the book? Yes, if you’re completely unfamiliar with Africa or have no idea where to start exploring the immense diversity the continent's Histories (yes, I mean it in plural) and cultures has to offer.
February 18, 2023
Humbled yet again, and so much learned about the rich and diverse continent that is Africa. I’m sure I am not the first middle-age, white western man to think he knew quite a bit about Africa, only to find out how much I don’t know at all. There’s a lot of really good stuff in here. It has some refreshing approaches, new angles and interesting insights, looking at every African nation through a slightly different lens to the standard narratives that most fall into. With this dedicating around four to six pages on each of the fifty-four (internationally recognised) nations, we never overstay our welcome at any destination, and if anything we are often left wanting much more.
So many interesting areas, like Ceuta and Melilla, the two autonomous cities claimed by Spain, in spite of both of being in Morocco. Both are riddled with contradictions, like in spite of being in the EU, apparently Africans have to have been living there for at least 10 years before being able to apply for Spanish citizenship. These en/exclaves are obviously heavily protected with multiple, barbed fencing, cameras and heavy, continuous police presence. The Spanish police have been known to provide African immigrants with water laced with tranquiliser, then wrapping them in adhesive tape, covering most of their bodies, including their mouth before dumping them on military planes back to their country of origin.
This also does a fine job of raising awareness of a small number of the women who achieved and did so much for their respective cultures and countries, people like in Taytu Betul in Ethiopia, Wangari in Kenya and Bibi Titi Mohammed in Tanzania. Then there’s the likes of the Kingdom of Kush in modern day Sudan, Kerma was an advanced state which pre-dated the likes of Babylon, Rome and Greece.
I'm not sure that I've ever met another adult who thought Africa was a country, but then I've never lived in America. And of course there is that long list of countries who have claimed or still claim independence and seek sovereignty, but are rarely acknowledged let alone granted recognition by the vast majority of the world. Somaliland, Western Sahara and Biafra to name only a small selection.
Some of the more memorable leaders include the likes of Guinea-Bissau’s Amilcar Cabral, who strove for an end to forced labour and sought strong worker’s rights and a robust welfare system with good health centres for the elderly, freedom of religion and free and compulsory primary education. Cabral was assassinated by Portuguese agents in 1973.
Then there is the remarkable story of Burkina Faso’s Thomas Sankara. He banned first class travel for all civil servants, and stopped the use of Mercedes vehicles for them, substituting them for Renault 5s (the cheapest the country had at the time). There were no images of him in public places. He lived frugally, having four bicycles instead of luxury vehicles, paying himself around USD $450 a month, making himself the world’s poorest president. As well as telling the IMF and the World Bank where to go, he introduced widespread vaccine programs, eradicating polio, measles and meningitis, delivering 2.5 million vaccinations in one week. Women’s rights made great progress. He introduced the first state owned supermarket in the country.
Though unfortunately it wasn't all good, he had his dark side too, not allowing any other political parties to exist, he wouldn’t allow unions and he wouldn’t indulge teachers during strikes and other dark and disturbing policies. He was assassinated in 1987 in a military coup, cut into pieces and buried in a shallow grave.
This also reminds us just how cruel, petty and awful successive governments of Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, Britain and the US are, it illustrates their cold indifference to the millions that make up these nations, they were largely impoverishing and enslaving them. I love that over the last five to ten years that more and more of these books have been getting published, wonderful, exciting and provocative books which challenge white perspectives, and the ignorant, dominant narratives which we have been indoctrinated for centuries. This is an intelligent and engaging read and I highly recommend it.
So many interesting areas, like Ceuta and Melilla, the two autonomous cities claimed by Spain, in spite of both of being in Morocco. Both are riddled with contradictions, like in spite of being in the EU, apparently Africans have to have been living there for at least 10 years before being able to apply for Spanish citizenship. These en/exclaves are obviously heavily protected with multiple, barbed fencing, cameras and heavy, continuous police presence. The Spanish police have been known to provide African immigrants with water laced with tranquiliser, then wrapping them in adhesive tape, covering most of their bodies, including their mouth before dumping them on military planes back to their country of origin.
This also does a fine job of raising awareness of a small number of the women who achieved and did so much for their respective cultures and countries, people like in Taytu Betul in Ethiopia, Wangari in Kenya and Bibi Titi Mohammed in Tanzania. Then there’s the likes of the Kingdom of Kush in modern day Sudan, Kerma was an advanced state which pre-dated the likes of Babylon, Rome and Greece.
I'm not sure that I've ever met another adult who thought Africa was a country, but then I've never lived in America. And of course there is that long list of countries who have claimed or still claim independence and seek sovereignty, but are rarely acknowledged let alone granted recognition by the vast majority of the world. Somaliland, Western Sahara and Biafra to name only a small selection.
Some of the more memorable leaders include the likes of Guinea-Bissau’s Amilcar Cabral, who strove for an end to forced labour and sought strong worker’s rights and a robust welfare system with good health centres for the elderly, freedom of religion and free and compulsory primary education. Cabral was assassinated by Portuguese agents in 1973.
Then there is the remarkable story of Burkina Faso’s Thomas Sankara. He banned first class travel for all civil servants, and stopped the use of Mercedes vehicles for them, substituting them for Renault 5s (the cheapest the country had at the time). There were no images of him in public places. He lived frugally, having four bicycles instead of luxury vehicles, paying himself around USD $450 a month, making himself the world’s poorest president. As well as telling the IMF and the World Bank where to go, he introduced widespread vaccine programs, eradicating polio, measles and meningitis, delivering 2.5 million vaccinations in one week. Women’s rights made great progress. He introduced the first state owned supermarket in the country.
Though unfortunately it wasn't all good, he had his dark side too, not allowing any other political parties to exist, he wouldn’t allow unions and he wouldn’t indulge teachers during strikes and other dark and disturbing policies. He was assassinated in 1987 in a military coup, cut into pieces and buried in a shallow grave.
This also reminds us just how cruel, petty and awful successive governments of Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, Britain and the US are, it illustrates their cold indifference to the millions that make up these nations, they were largely impoverishing and enslaving them. I love that over the last five to ten years that more and more of these books have been getting published, wonderful, exciting and provocative books which challenge white perspectives, and the ignorant, dominant narratives which we have been indoctrinated for centuries. This is an intelligent and engaging read and I highly recommend it.
October 2, 2022
Way too opiniated for my taste. Many of the chapters are mostly pointing fingers and trying to explain historical events in simplistic "oppressor-victim" terms. Which is fine, there definitely were a lot of victims in Africa. But I wanted to learn about the history of the countries and how those historical events came to be from the perspective of the people living through those events. Instead, I got modern commentary from authors that clearly have an agenda.
I was furious at several points for the lack of simple objectivity. Case in point - black people enslaving black people in Liberia. The authors commented that this was due to black enslavers being "brainwashed" by evil white colonial culture, not even considering the possibility that there might be more to it...
I was furious at several points for the lack of simple objectivity. Case in point - black people enslaving black people in Liberia. The authors commented that this was due to black enslavers being "brainwashed" by evil white colonial culture, not even considering the possibility that there might be more to it...
August 10, 2023
A great introduction 🌟
August 4, 2024
It's a 3,5/5, but I always round up. It's clearly a surface level overview of the topics it describes but that's to be expected in this sort of thing. It does very much offer a good and, just as important, accessible starting point to learn about African history, even if sometimes the generalising doesn't give the full picture or nuance.
I do hope if there's ever a reprint they re-edit some stuff though. There were quite some typos, and passages often repeated unnecessarily or felt disconnected.
I do hope if there's ever a reprint they re-edit some stuff though. There were quite some typos, and passages often repeated unnecessarily or felt disconnected.
November 5, 2023
Could not finish. Some interesting information, and I would like to read more African history books, but the writing was poor and many of their takes were unconvincing. This may have worked better as a YouTube explainer video series, but I’m not convinced that focusing on Africa country-by-country was a good idea in any format.
November 1, 2024
3,5★/5
Autorki mając na myśli wszystkie kraje Afryki mówią dosłownie o WSZYSTKICH- w książce znajduje się 55 minirozdzialików, które mają bardziej formę ciekawostki, trampoliny do dalszego zgłębiania tematu, ponieważ nie da się w pięć stron opisać w dokładniejszy sposób tak złożonych przecież kwestii. A te są różne, najczęściej dotyczą oczywiście kolonializmu, walki z nią, stopniowego uzyskiwania niepodległości lub okresu po niej, ale istnieją też rozdziały np. o Mansa Musie czy o starożytnym królestwie Kusz. Podobał mi się ten mały format, dzięki któremu można było bardzo łatwo się wkręcić w historię kolejnych państw. Pomagał w tym także język popularnonaukowy, niewymagający znajomości wielu terminów czy wydarzeń.
Kolejnym plusem jest to, że o większości historii człowiek nigdy nie słyszał, a te mniej lub bardziej znane są fajnie wyjaśnione. Każdy może się dowiedzieć z tej książki bardzo wiele.
O ile język jest bardzo dużym plusem, to jednocześnie jest też minusem, ponieważ kolejne rozdziały są zazwyczaj bardzo podobne do siebie, przez to ostatnie kilka czytało się już nieco pod przymusem. Drugą rzeczą która mi przeszkadzała były komentarze autorek, uważam, że one były niepotrzebne.
Mimo wszystko polecam książkę bardzo w ramach poszerzenia wiedzy o Świecie nas otaczającym.
Autorki mając na myśli wszystkie kraje Afryki mówią dosłownie o WSZYSTKICH- w książce znajduje się 55 minirozdzialików, które mają bardziej formę ciekawostki, trampoliny do dalszego zgłębiania tematu, ponieważ nie da się w pięć stron opisać w dokładniejszy sposób tak złożonych przecież kwestii. A te są różne, najczęściej dotyczą oczywiście kolonializmu, walki z nią, stopniowego uzyskiwania niepodległości lub okresu po niej, ale istnieją też rozdziały np. o Mansa Musie czy o starożytnym królestwie Kusz. Podobał mi się ten mały format, dzięki któremu można było bardzo łatwo się wkręcić w historię kolejnych państw. Pomagał w tym także język popularnonaukowy, niewymagający znajomości wielu terminów czy wydarzeń.
Kolejnym plusem jest to, że o większości historii człowiek nigdy nie słyszał, a te mniej lub bardziej znane są fajnie wyjaśnione. Każdy może się dowiedzieć z tej książki bardzo wiele.
O ile język jest bardzo dużym plusem, to jednocześnie jest też minusem, ponieważ kolejne rozdziały są zazwyczaj bardzo podobne do siebie, przez to ostatnie kilka czytało się już nieco pod przymusem. Drugą rzeczą która mi przeszkadzała były komentarze autorek, uważam, że one były niepotrzebne.
Mimo wszystko polecam książkę bardzo w ramach poszerzenia wiedzy o Świecie nas otaczającym.
Read
February 22, 2023read 2/3. This book features brief chapters and tidbits about formative historical moments for each of the countries in Africa. This include interesting stuff, like profiles of significant leaders such as Tanzania's pan-Africanist leader Julius Nyerere, Egypt's feminist campaigner Doria Shafik, South Africa's anti-apartheid leader Steve Biko, Botswana's king and first president Seretse Khama, Kenya's female conservationist activist Wangari Maathai, Lesotho's independent King Moshoeshoe, Angola's queen Nzinga, the conflict along religious and ethnic lines that exist in countries like Mauritania and Sudan-South Sudan, the triumphant act of rebuilding and reconciling the nation in Rwanda after ethnic genocide, Eritrea's resistance to becoming Ethiopia's satellite state.
January 7, 2024
indrukwekkend boek met korte historische context over alle landen in Afrika. Mega interessant en wat heeft Europa een potje gemaakt van Afrika
May 6, 2024
Overall I enjoyed this book. My knowledge of Africa is sketchy so it was interesting to have a view of all the nations in the continent. Unlike some reviewers I liked the one chapter per nation format. I also liked the fact that one key feature or interesting person or happening was discussed. My main issue and hence three stars is the poor quality of the writing- pretty clunky in places and it could do with an edit of the whole book to avoid annoying repetition and the sarcastic comments etc.
August 7, 2024
3.5 stars
March 30, 2024
Thank you Astrid and Chinny for the efforts put in to educate me and others. As a geography teacher I did enjoy learning many new aspects to the wonderful nations of people across Africa. I would say I found some of the chapters too short and wondered whether focussing on say 10-15 countries; going more in depth on those, would have made the book even better. Plus this would allow for a second or third book! I would highly recommend Dipo Faloyins book in case people are interested in learning more about the continent of Africa.
December 20, 2023
It is truly remarkable in how many ways the European colonial powers have distinguished themselves over the past centuries through their absolutely arrogant and inhuman behaviour.
Although "It's a continent" sheds light on more than just the colonial history of virtually all African nations, the unflattering "influence" of the Europeans repeatedly comes to the fore in this analysis, which is accompanied by cynical marginal notes. The authors devote a similar number of pages to each country - unfortunately! Here one wishes for more details, there one could do without, because sadly history has only repeated itself in a similar way.
Overall, Madimba and Ukata always try to put on a different lens, sometimes approaching the countries through colourful or controversial personalitie, through strong women, feminist movements avant l'heure, report on sexual intolerance induced by the colonial powers, on religious disparities and, of course, on geopolitical circumstances: It is no secret that the colonial powers, with their arbitrarily set national borders, forcibly united population groups that were not traditionally on friendly terms. And so the themes dominate the individual chapters again and again: War, slavery, exploitation.
It can't be a funny book, it doesn't want to be. It stimulates, it upsets. Above all because it sheds light on much of the past, but is no less topical for that when it comes to current discussions, roles, attitudes, pride and arrogance. There is still a lot to learn. And even if this book has some weaker passages, it still makes a hugely informative contribution. Definitely worth reading.
Although "It's a continent" sheds light on more than just the colonial history of virtually all African nations, the unflattering "influence" of the Europeans repeatedly comes to the fore in this analysis, which is accompanied by cynical marginal notes. The authors devote a similar number of pages to each country - unfortunately! Here one wishes for more details, there one could do without, because sadly history has only repeated itself in a similar way.
Overall, Madimba and Ukata always try to put on a different lens, sometimes approaching the countries through colourful or controversial personalitie, through strong women, feminist movements avant l'heure, report on sexual intolerance induced by the colonial powers, on religious disparities and, of course, on geopolitical circumstances: It is no secret that the colonial powers, with their arbitrarily set national borders, forcibly united population groups that were not traditionally on friendly terms. And so the themes dominate the individual chapters again and again: War, slavery, exploitation.
It can't be a funny book, it doesn't want to be. It stimulates, it upsets. Above all because it sheds light on much of the past, but is no less topical for that when it comes to current discussions, roles, attitudes, pride and arrogance. There is still a lot to learn. And even if this book has some weaker passages, it still makes a hugely informative contribution. Definitely worth reading.
November 13, 2023
I bought this with high hopes, as I realise my knowledge of African history is very limited and it is a topic which clearly deserves to be better known. Unfortunately, it became apparent from the first pages that this book is written in the style of a petulant teenager. Very superficial, interspaced with predictable comments exposing the chip apparently carried on shoulder of the authors. I was hoping for a book with substance and genuine insight into African history, including the awful colonial period, but also the much wider context over the centuries. Perhaps in hindsight the title ‘It’s A Continent’ might have warned me - does anyone really think that Africa is a country, or is this just a falsehood erected by the authors as an excuse to adopt a victim mentality? My search for a good book on African history will continue and I’ve learnt to be more careful in my next purchase.
January 17, 2024
This book was a good idea. Unfortunately, the result was disappointing. It reads rather like a series of below-par Sixth Form essays cribbed from Wikipedia (with added spurious comments that read like silly comments from the back row of the class. It could have been so much better. A little more fact-checking and a very heavy edit might have produced a worthwhile book.
September 14, 2023
Africa, a continent of breathtaking diversity and unparalleled complexity, is home to more than 1.2 billion people. Its significance in global history, situated at the heart of our world and as the cradle of humanity, cannot be overstated. However, our understanding of the individual corners of this magnificent continent remains limited. Western-dominated media often skews our perceptions with bias and misrepresentations, further compounded by language barriers that hinder intra-African interactions. In response to this, "It’s A Continent. Unravelling Africa’s History, One Country at a Time” a meticulously researched book inspired by a podcast of the same name, seeks to shed light on Africa's lesser-known stories.
Organized into five sections, corresponding to the cardinal compass points—North, East, West, South, and Central—this book is neither a history textbook nor an academic tome. Instead, it is a collection of captivating stories that defy the conventional narratives taught in schools. Each of the 54 African states is represented by one defining event, personality, or moment, spanning from precolonial times to modern-day occurrences. While acknowledging that a single story cannot encapsulate an entire nation, these stories offer glimpses into defining events, moments, and personalities that have left indelible marks on their respective countries.
One of the book's recurring themes is the enduring legacy of colonization, which continues to shape contemporary African states. This legacy, rooted in artificial boundaries drawn at the Berlin Conference, has ignited boundary disputes, civil unrest, and territorial conflicts. The extent of conflict and bloodshed these divisions have inspired and continue to provoke is staggering, demanding introspection and resolution. These boundaries also impede the continent's unification, hindering economic progress through intra-Africa trade and collective bargaining.
"It’s A Continent. Unravelling Africa’s History, One Country at a Time” spotlights each country in just a few pages, bringing to the fore significant historical aspects. These could be pivotal events, remarkable individuals, or extraordinary occurrences. For instance, Kenya's highlight showcases Wangari Maathai, a beacon of courage and vision whose legacy continues to inspire.
As an avid reader, what struck me most was how little I knew about various regions of Africa, their histories, and current affairs beyond the confines of news cycles. I firmly believe that this book is indispensable for all Africans. It serves as a means to construct a collective identity, nurture empathy, and eventually foster unity and shared prosperity on this extraordinary continent we call home. "It’s A Continent. Unravelling Africa’s History, One Country at a Time” beckons the curious to delve deeper into the past and present of Africa's 54 states, laying the foundation for a more prosperous future.
Organized into five sections, corresponding to the cardinal compass points—North, East, West, South, and Central—this book is neither a history textbook nor an academic tome. Instead, it is a collection of captivating stories that defy the conventional narratives taught in schools. Each of the 54 African states is represented by one defining event, personality, or moment, spanning from precolonial times to modern-day occurrences. While acknowledging that a single story cannot encapsulate an entire nation, these stories offer glimpses into defining events, moments, and personalities that have left indelible marks on their respective countries.
One of the book's recurring themes is the enduring legacy of colonization, which continues to shape contemporary African states. This legacy, rooted in artificial boundaries drawn at the Berlin Conference, has ignited boundary disputes, civil unrest, and territorial conflicts. The extent of conflict and bloodshed these divisions have inspired and continue to provoke is staggering, demanding introspection and resolution. These boundaries also impede the continent's unification, hindering economic progress through intra-Africa trade and collective bargaining.
"It’s A Continent. Unravelling Africa’s History, One Country at a Time” spotlights each country in just a few pages, bringing to the fore significant historical aspects. These could be pivotal events, remarkable individuals, or extraordinary occurrences. For instance, Kenya's highlight showcases Wangari Maathai, a beacon of courage and vision whose legacy continues to inspire.
As an avid reader, what struck me most was how little I knew about various regions of Africa, their histories, and current affairs beyond the confines of news cycles. I firmly believe that this book is indispensable for all Africans. It serves as a means to construct a collective identity, nurture empathy, and eventually foster unity and shared prosperity on this extraordinary continent we call home. "It’s A Continent. Unravelling Africa’s History, One Country at a Time” beckons the curious to delve deeper into the past and present of Africa's 54 states, laying the foundation for a more prosperous future.
October 7, 2022
Did you know that the African continent consists of 54 countries? It’s become a running joke that some people think Africa is a country—hence the title of Astrid Madimba & Chinny Ukata’s podcast and now their book of the same name.
Astrid Madimba and Chinny Ukata co-founded their podcast after discovering that there are numerous misconceptions about Africa and the countries that comprise this vast continent. Their podcast focuses on African history and current events, and it aims to fill the gaps left by inadequate schooling and a general lack of information. Being born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and growing up in the United Kingdom (UK), Astrid became aware of the lack of African history students were taught. Typically, it was limited to Egypt and the transatlantic slave trade, and the history of the rest of Africa was either misrepresented or ignored entirely.
Full review: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.co...
Astrid Madimba and Chinny Ukata co-founded their podcast after discovering that there are numerous misconceptions about Africa and the countries that comprise this vast continent. Their podcast focuses on African history and current events, and it aims to fill the gaps left by inadequate schooling and a general lack of information. Being born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and growing up in the United Kingdom (UK), Astrid became aware of the lack of African history students were taught. Typically, it was limited to Egypt and the transatlantic slave trade, and the history of the rest of Africa was either misrepresented or ignored entirely.
Full review: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.co...
January 5, 2023
This book is a comprehensive and engaging exploration of the history of Africa, one country at a time. This is neither a full coverage of the continent's history nor an encyclopedia that gathers exhaustive information on events.
The authors do an excellent job of weaving together the various threads of Africa's past, showing how the continent's history is interconnected and how events have often had far-reaching consequences for the rest of the continent. It's also a great way to look at historic events from a different lens than that of history classes.
This approach makes the book more accessible and engaging than some other histories of Africa, which can be overwhelming due to the sheer scope and complexity of the continent's past.
Overall, this is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of Africa. Whether you are a history buff or simply curious about this fascinating continent, this book is sure to provide a wealth of information and insights. Highly recommended.
The authors do an excellent job of weaving together the various threads of Africa's past, showing how the continent's history is interconnected and how events have often had far-reaching consequences for the rest of the continent. It's also a great way to look at historic events from a different lens than that of history classes.
This approach makes the book more accessible and engaging than some other histories of Africa, which can be overwhelming due to the sheer scope and complexity of the continent's past.
Overall, this is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of Africa. Whether you are a history buff or simply curious about this fascinating continent, this book is sure to provide a wealth of information and insights. Highly recommended.
November 19, 2023
I really enjoyed this! In short chapters these two ladies are teaching everyone who'll listen that Africa is in deed an entire continent of around 55 different nations, by telling some of the storries they would have liked to know growing up [in stead of the white britisk canon they were subjected to at school]. That's not to say this is for children, both old myths, colonial times and the postcolonial history of Africa is full of drama and bloodshed (as is much af history anywhere, but sometimes Africa's is particularly grim - thank you colonialism!)
Anyway here's a chance to understand what drove some of the post-colonial leaders before they descended into despotism, learn of the warriors of ancient times or the pan-african dreams. The stories are compelling and this can be enjoyed in short chapters - so it's also a chance to read your way around Africa in bite-sized stories.
It has been adapted from a podcast - if you enjoy a much chattier version, most of the short chapters are episodes there (I prefer the book, but to each their own).
Anyway here's a chance to understand what drove some of the post-colonial leaders before they descended into despotism, learn of the warriors of ancient times or the pan-african dreams. The stories are compelling and this can be enjoyed in short chapters - so it's also a chance to read your way around Africa in bite-sized stories.
It has been adapted from a podcast - if you enjoy a much chattier version, most of the short chapters are episodes there (I prefer the book, but to each their own).
June 19, 2024
learnt some interesting things, and a lot of horrifying things (big surprise when a book covers colonial history)
i think flow of the book was a bit awkward tho and some of the jokes werent very funny 🥵💀
while i think the format was cool, trying to introduce readers to a different african country every 4-5 pages meant that there were points/facts within chapters that were thrown in seemingly at random.
this might just be me being stupid but one of the intentions behind this book was to introduce unaware readers about the diversity of africa. but, i found it difficult to really track this when the overarching narrative of most chapters was colonial history - i just got lost as a reader when im reading for the 40th time that europeans absolutely decimated africa and africans, except this time we have different names to fill in the blanks.
still learnt a bunch of interesting things from this book tho and will revisit their bibliography as a springboard for more reading 🤑🤑🤑
2.5
i think flow of the book was a bit awkward tho and some of the jokes werent very funny 🥵💀
while i think the format was cool, trying to introduce readers to a different african country every 4-5 pages meant that there were points/facts within chapters that were thrown in seemingly at random.
this might just be me being stupid but one of the intentions behind this book was to introduce unaware readers about the diversity of africa. but, i found it difficult to really track this when the overarching narrative of most chapters was colonial history - i just got lost as a reader when im reading for the 40th time that europeans absolutely decimated africa and africans, except this time we have different names to fill in the blanks.
still learnt a bunch of interesting things from this book tho and will revisit their bibliography as a springboard for more reading 🤑🤑🤑
2.5
January 1, 2024
I liked the concept of this book, and i'm interested in learning more about African history and current affairs, but I struggled to get through it and ultimately gave up about halfway in. The tone of this book is too preachy and opinionated for my liking. I prefer non-fiction books that simply present the facts in a neutral way, and allow the reader to make their own judgements. Most readers will deduce from the stories that colonialism was wrong and harmful to Africans, so I think the constant snippy remarks by the authors detract from the book. I also found the quality of writing to be subpar and thought it could benefit with more editing. Some of the stories did pique my interest, but I will be seeking to learn more from a different source.
September 22, 2024
This book is a glaring example of why podcasts don’t need to be turned into books. The concept is good, a book that highlights parts of the histories of each country on the African continent. The delivery was, plainly stated, horrible. The book is poorly written - questionable word usage and consistently terrible syntax. The tone of the writing was strange. Attempts at humor fell wildly flat. My sense is this was a trope from their podcast that decidedly failed to translate to the written word. The chapters on each country were inconsistent- for many counties they seemed to fall back on recitation of dates and rulers. Ultimately, this book is a total failure on a topic that deserves much better.
November 3, 2022
I had a lot of hope for this book to look further than colonialism, and into the societies that existed before during and after colonialism. Unfortunately, the focus of the book took the perspective of the colonial power, despite its claim not to. Many chapters were very insightful, but at times it because simplistic- like the submission that African leaders sold their people to western powers because they too were brainwashed by western powers. It ignores the slavery and social hierarchy that existed independently of white powers. I hope there is a sequel to this book that goes beyond what western powers did to Africa and focuses on Africans.
July 7, 2024
"It's a Continent" by Astrid Madimba is a brilliant and enlightening read that takes you on a journey through Africa's diverse and rich history. Each chapter delves into the unique story of a different African country, providing fascinating insights into their cultural heritage and historical context. Madimba's engaging writing style makes complex topics accessible and relatable. This book challenges stereotypes and offers a balanced perspective, celebrating Africa's achievements and resilience. If you're looking to deepen your understanding of Africa beyond the usual narratives, this book is an absolute gem. Highly recommended!
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