It is one thing to read history and quite another to learn about the lives of historical figures. Paying close attention to the lives of people who have stood out in history helps us understand how these figures, with their admirable or questionable actions, navigated the political and social currents of their times.
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven books that will make you see historical figures differently. From the fictional biography of the first African man to explore America to a nuanced portrait that asks us to contextualize the life of one of South Africa’s most controversial women, the books on this list will make you think again about the historical figures you thought you knew.
Read our recommendations below.
HUBERT OGUNDE: THE MAKING OF NIGERIAN THEATRE AUTHOR: EBUN CLARK GENRE: NON-ICTION
Hubert Ogunde is often regarded as the doyen of Nigerian theatre for establishing the first professional theatre company in Nigeria, amongst other feats. In 1979, Nigerian professor, Ebun Clark, published a seminal book on the man, Hubert Ogunde: The Making of Nigerian Theatre, exploring the trajectory of his career. By historicizing Ogunde’s theatre and documenting its establishment, achievements and challenges, Clark paints a picture of the theatre pioneer as not only a passionate artist but also a shrewd businessman.
THE STRANGERS AUTHOR: EKOW ESHUN GENRE: NON-FICTION
British journalist and author Ekow Eshun was the first Black editor of Arena Magazine, one of the UK’s major magazines. In The Strangers, he draws us into the lives and experiences of five different historical Black men across continents and centuries, all united by being pioneers of some sort. Whether it is Matthew Henson, the first man to reach the North pole, or Justin Fashanu, the first footballer to come out as gay.
By painting such a vivid, intimate image of each of these men during significant moments in their lives, Eshun shines light on the historical and sociopolitical factors that affect their lives as Black men, showing them as ‘sensitive, often solitary individuals moving through a hostile world.’
THE MOOR'S ACCOUNT AUTHOR: LAILA LALAMI GENRE: FICTION
It is 1527 and the Narvaez expedition is underway. Setting off from Spain, it aimed to explore and conquer Florida. There are about 600 people on board, including one young Black man, a Moroccan slave called Estebanico. Troubles begin almost immediately, and by 1536, when the expedition reached Mexico City, there were only four survivors left. One of whom was Estabanico.
Very little, historically, is known about Estebanico, who is regarded as the first Afican to explore America. In The Moor’s Account, Moroccan author Laila Lalami brings him to life, closely documenting his experience, from childhood in Azemmour, Morocco where he grew up and being sold into slavery, to his experiences on the expedition. She achieves this incredibly intimate portrayal of the life of Estebanico by adopting the structure of sixteenth-century Arabic travelogue that is as lyrical as it is soul-searching.
THE RESURRECTION OF WINNIE MANDELA AUTHOR: SISONKE MSIMANG GENRE: NON-FICTION
Winnie Mandela, anti-apartheid firebrand, is a controversial figure. For some people, her bravery and unwavering commitment to the anti-apartheid struggle make her some sort of saint, while others highlight her complicity in the killing of 14-year-old Stompie Moeketsi and her support for violence against those who collaborated with the apartheid regime in a bid to demonize her.
In the 2018 biography, The Resurrection of Winnie Mandela, Sisonke Msimang offers a more nuanced and critical view of Mandela. Msimange highlights Mandela’s achievements and contributions to the struggle, while simultaneously admitting the harm she caused. But most critically, Msimang asks us to consider why Mandela is often brutally vilified when her actions caused no more violence than those enacted by the African National Congress.
Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuma Nzeogwu is widely regarded as the man who led the January 1966 Nigerian coup d’etat that marked the beginning of military rule in Nigeria and resulted in the anti-Igbo pogrom that culminated in the Nigerian civil war in 1967. For this reason, Nzeogwu is a somewhat controversial figure. Was he truly a revolutionary or a villain?
In former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo’s biography of Nzeogwu, he brings the man alive with pictures and personal letters. Having been close friends with Nzeogwu during his life, Obasanjo paints the image of a man as known by his dear friend, giving us an intimate view of the life of a man whose actions changed the course of Nigerian history.
A DAUGHTER OF ISIS AUTHOR: NAWAL EL SAADAWI GENRE: NON-FICTION
Egyptian writer Nawa El Saadawi is best known for her 1977 novel Woman at Point Zero. In addition to being an author, she was also a physician and committed activist, once imprisoned for her work with feminist magazine Confrontation. She often faced public ridicule, censorship, and even exile, for her commitment to opposing the oppression of women.
A Daughter of Isis is her autobiography, recounting the experiences that shaped her as such a relentless voice for women’s liberation, from her experiences of female genital mutilation to studying medicine at the university, against all odds.
ASSATA AUTHOR: ASSATA SHAKUR GENRE: NON-FICTION
In 1979, a Black woman escaped from prison in America, becoming an FBI-wanted person with $2 million dollars on her head. Her name was Assata Shakur, a leader in the Black Panther party. She had been arrested in 1973, following allegations of her involvement in a shootout that killed a state trooper. She was subsequently imprisoned, including in solitary confinement.
In this intimately written autobiography, published less than a decade after breaking out of prison and receiving political asylum from Cuba, Shakur gives us the full story of her life and of the incidences surrounding multiple arrests, highlighting American attorney John Edgar Hoover’s insidious campaign to criminalize Black liberation movements⎈
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