{"title":"Max Siollun","description":"\u003cp\u003eMax Siollun’s works offer a compelling exploration of Nigeria’s complex history, delving into periods often overlooked in conventional narratives. His writing illuminates the intersections of colonial influence and military developments, providing insight into the forces that have shaped modern Nigeria.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect thoroughly researched accounts that blend historical precision with engaging storytelling, ideal for those interested in \u003cem\u003eHistory \u0026amp; Military\u003c\/em\u003e perspectives on West Africa’s past. Siollun’s books challenge assumptions and deepen understanding of the region’s political and social transformations.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-forgotten-era-by-max-siollun-9780745350080","title":"The Forgotten Era","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSiollun's books are gripping\u003c\/em\u003e - \u003cem\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMuch is known about what Europeans did in Africa, yet very little is known about Africa's history before its colonisation. 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePre-colonial West Africa had a mesmerising 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis story of a dynamic and artistic people is a vital read for those who want to discover a forgotten era of West Africa.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000780472556,"sku":"9780745350080","price":59.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9857933482453.jpg?v=1763304177"},{"product_id":"what-britain-did-to-nigeria-by-max-siollun-9781911723264","title":"What Britain Did to Nigeria","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost accounts of Nigeria's colonisation were written by British officials, presenting it as a noble civilising mission to rid Africans of barbaric superstition and corrupt tribal leadership. Thanks to this skewed writing of history, many Nigerians today still have Empire nostalgia and view the colonial period through rose-tinted glasses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMax Siollun offers a bold rethink: an unromanticised history, arguing compellingly that colonialism had few benevolent intentions but many unjust outcomes. It may have ended slavery and human sacrifice, but it was accompanied by extreme violence; ethnic and religious identity were cynically exploited to maintain control, while the forceful remoulding of longstanding legal and social practices permanently altered the culture and internal politics of indigenous communities. The aftershocks of this colonial meddling are still being felt decades after independence. Popular narratives often suggest that the economic and political turmoil are homegrown, but the reality is that Britain created many of Nigeria's crises, and has left them behind for Nigerians to resolve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a definitive, head-on confrontation with Nigeria's experience under British rule, showing how it forever changed the country - perhaps cataclysmically.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Brings [a] much needed African viewpoint to [Nigeria's] colonial history.' - \u003cem\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'[A] fascinating new study...offering a cogent analysis of the development of slavery and the lucrative trade in rubber, in palm oil...and the wholesale exploitation involved.' - RT Culture Online\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Siollun's evenhanded assessment of the roughly 60 years of colonial rule that followed is...absorbing.' - \u003cem\u003eForeign Affairs\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat Britain Did to Nigeria\u003c\/em\u003e is a nuanced, informative and timely book that powerfully captures the complexity of the colonial impact.' - Olivette Otele, author of \u003cem\u003eAfrican Europeans: An Untold History\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'The British Empire is often presented as an endeavour that conquered territory, carried out atrocities and looted resources. Max Siollun's \u003cem\u003eWhat Britain Did to Nigeria\u003c\/em\u003e provides some evidence to support that case. But Siollun also provides much-needed nuance: British colonialism in Nigeria was characterised by a tension between the colonial government and the work of missionaries.' - \u003cem\u003eHistory Today\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47487759810796,"sku":"9781911723264","price":73.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/2121b629538f2ee6bf384008987180fa.jpg?v=1775769169"},{"product_id":"the-forgotten-era-by-max-siollun-9780745352046","title":"The Forgotten Era","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIncredibly necessary, magnificently done, Siollun charts the characters and events that shaped the lives of those who inhabited Nigeria's territories centuries before colonisation\u003c\/em\u003e - Remi Adekoya, author of \u003cem\u003eIt's Not About Whiteness, It's About Wealth\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWithout a doubt, Max Siollun is the best Nigeria-focused historian of our times\u003c\/em\u003e - Matthew T. Page, former U.S. State Department Nigeria expert\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMax Siollun accomplishes what few dare to attempt - a revival of a time when the region now known as Nigeria was alive with vibrant kingdoms, city-states, and complex social dynamics long before European colonisers imposed their narratives\u003c\/em\u003e - Gimba Kakanda, writer and researcher\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThere is no more eloquent and informed guide than Max Siollun\u003c\/em\u003e - Sathnam Sanghera, author of \u003cem\u003eEmpireland\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMuch is known about what Europeans did in Africa, yet very little is known about Africa's history before its colonisation. In this surprising exploration, Max Siollun uncovers societies that were not part of a backwards 'Dark Continent', but which instead had rich lore to rival the ancient Greeks and Romans.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47650591965420,"sku":"9780745352046","price":53.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780745352046-the-forgotten-era.jpg?v=1779328588"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/max-siollun.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}