This book chronicles the story of the single most daring Special Forces operation since World War Two - Operation Barras; the attempted rescue by the SAS of the British Forces who were being held captive by guerrilla gang the West Side Boys in the Sierra Leone jungle. The West Side Boys were a strange-looking bunch, wearing pink shades, shower caps, fluorescent wigs and voodoo charms they believed made them invulnerable to bullets - an impression re-enforced by ganja, heroine, crack cocaine and gallons of sweet palm wine. In 1999 a twelve man patrol of Royal Irish Rangers, who were training government troops in Sierra Leone, were captured and held hostage by the West Side Boys. They were held prisoner in a fortified jungle hideaway, with severed heads decorating the palisades, defended by some 400 heavily armed soldiers. Operation Barras, the rescue mission, was a combined force of 100 Paras, twelve members of the Special Boat Squadron, helicopters from the Navy and RAF and, spearheading the operation, 40-strong D squadron of the SAS. Against amazing odds the hostages were rescued - over 150 of the enemy were killed. Operation Certain Death is a thrilling true story of all out war. No hostages taken. Blood-letting on a vast scale inflicted on a very blood-thirsty enemy. A gripping piece of true military history, perfect for fans of action adventure stories and anyone interested in the top secret division of the British Army. Read more

After a widely successful tour across the globe, Beyond Bilal: Black History in Islam finds its way to your bookshelf. Beyond Bilal: Black History in Islam is the breakthrough and pioneering lecture by writer, lecturer, and educator Mustafa Briggs. Beyond Bilal explores and uncovers the deep rooted relationship between Islam and Black History, from Black Prophets and prominent figures in the Qur’an, to the unknown black Sahaba and scholars of the early generations, the history of Islam in Africa, and the legacy of contemporary African Islamic scholarship and its role in the International Relations of the Muslim World. This book also contains Mustafa Briggs' other two lectures, Before Malcolm X: History of Islam in the Americas, and Daughters of Fatima: Female Scholarship in the Islamic Tradition. From Oxford to Cambridge, Harvard to Yale, and now to you in book format for the very first time. Read more

KRISS KROSS PUZZLE BOOK FOR ADULTSBook Features:600+ Kriss Kross Puzzles20 words in one puzzle12.000+ words on completely different topicsIncludes FREE BONUS PUZZLES downloadableIncludes instructions and techniques for complete beginnersSize of the book: 8.5" x 11" inch (21.59 cm x 27.94 cm)Includes full solutions (end of the book)Premium Matte Color Cover Read more

Are the tribes of Israel really "lost" or were they hidden as prophesied in Psalms 83?The Bible seems to indicate a multi national conspiracy to hide Israel and wipe out the memory of who they really are. If this is true, then history as we know it has been hijacked, and it is only through searching that we will find the truth. In this book, you'll find the answers to the following questions, just to name a few:Why does a 1747 English map place the tribe of Judah on the "slave coast" of Africa?Why do slave ledgers show slaves being registered with Hebrew names fresh off of the ships?Why did slaves sing songs in Hebrew and call out to Yah for help?Why did Christ mention the slavery of Israel as a sign of the end of the age?Are "the times of the Gentiles" coming to an end?If you are 100% honest with yourself as you find the answers to these questions, your eyes will be opened. If you’re ready to start this eye opening adventure through scripture then keep reading. ISRAEL IS STILL A NATION TO GOD AND ALWAYS WILL BE!“Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.” – Jeremiah 31:35-37 Read more

In February 2025, Michael Palin travelled to Venezuela to get a sense of what life is like in one of South America's most culturally rich, vibrant but also troubled nations. In the journal he kept during his trip he gives a vivid account of the towns and cities he visited, the landscapes he travelled through, and the people he met.Illustrated throughout with colour photographs taken on the trip, and permeated with his warmth and humour, this is a vivid and varied portrait of a complex country. Read more

Winner of the 2021 Elliott P. Skinner Book Award"If you care about museums and the world, read this book"-New York Times"Urgent, lucid, and brilliantly enraged...a long-awaited treatise on justice."-New York Review of Books"A real game-changer."-The Economist"A bombshell."-Los Angeles TimesThe Brutish Museums sits at the heart of a heated debate about cultural restitution, repatriation, and the decolonization of museums. Since its first publication, museums across the western world have begun to return their Bronzes to Nigeria, heralding a new era in the way we understand the objects of empire we once took for granted.Walk into any western museum today and you will see the curated spoils of Empire. They sit behind plate glass: dignified, tastefully lit. Accompanying pieces of card offer a name, date, and place of origin. They do not mention that the objects are all stolen.Few artifacts embody this history of rapacious and extractive colonialism better than the Benin Bronzes--a collection of thousands of metal plaques and sculptures depicting the history of the Royal Court of the Obas of Benin City, Nigeria. Pillaged during a British naval attack in 1897, the loot was passed on to Queen Victoria, the British Museum, and countless private collections.The Brutish Museums sits at the heart of a heated debate about cultural restitution, repatriation, and the decolonization of museums. Since its first publication, museums across the western world have begun to return their Bronzes to Nigeria, heralding a new era in the way we understand the objects of empire we once took for granted. Read more

The extraordinary true story of a West African girl’s upbringing in North Korea under the guardianship of President Kim Il Sung––––––––––––In 1979, aged only seven, Monica Macias was sent from West Africa to the unfamiliar surroundings of North Korea by her father, the President of Equatorial Guinea, to be educated under the guardianship of his ally, Kim Il Sung.Within months, her father was executed in a military coup; her mother became unreachable. Effectively orphaned, she and two siblings had to make their life in Pyongyang. At military boarding school, Monica learned to mix with older children, speak fluent Korean and handle weapons on training exercises.Reaching adulthood, she went in search of her roots. Spending time in Madrid, Malabo, New York, Seoul and finally London, at every step she had to reckon with others' perceptions of her adoptive homeland. Optimistic yet unflinching, Monica’s astonishing and unique story challenges us to see the world through different eyes.––––––––––––PRAISE FOR BLACK GIRL FROM PYONGYANG'A fascinating glimpse into life in North Korea' New Statesman'Extraordinary' Daily Telegraph'An incredible insight into a woman whose life is beyond imagining... and a fascinating insight into the North Korean regime' Rory Stewart'Monica's is an evocative memoir of a remarkable childhood followed by a decades-long search around the globe for her identity. But beyond that, it is a stunning treatise on politics, power and culture' Florence Olajide, bestselling author of Coconut Read more

Think you know your history? This bumper collection of 51 fun, fiendish crossword puzzles will challenge your knowledge of everything from Ancient Rome to the Arab Spring, from the Aztecs to the internet, from the Stone Age to the Jazz Age, and from Timbuktu to outer space.Spanning centuries and ranging across continents, each crossword has something for everyone – whether you’re a keen quizzer, fancy yourself as a history expert, or are just fascinated by our shared past. Test yourself on historic battles, ancient cultures, earth-shaking revolutions and amazing inventions; play against the clock, or just against yourself. Open up a whole world of historical discovery. Let’s get puzzling!Absorbing puzzles on a large 17x17 gridA wide variety of questions across 14 history themesOver 860 quiz-style cluesClues and crossword grid are conveniently on the same page for each puzzleSolutions provided at the back of the bookFun facts every 2 puzzles to teach you something interesting you didn't know before!The perfect gift for adult history fansAll puzzles are in British EnglishGet 19 FREE bonus crosswords with this book! As a thank you for purchasing this book, we are giving away 19 FREE crosswords in a printable format for you test your history knowledge on hundreds more clues. The download link is provided in the book. Read more

Learn about one of the largest people groups in Africa!The Yorubas are an interesting people with a rich cultural heritage that can be traced back to many centuries ago. The history of the Yorubas is one of Africa’s most researched and analyzed histories due to the high level of literacy among the Yoruba. They have a system of government that ensures the proper running of the community and the education of their young.The Yorubas are located in West Africa, with the majority of the population found in southwestern Nigeria. With an estimated population of over thirty to forty million people, they are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa.This book will take you through a journey of the history of the Yoruba people, their system of government, beliefs, and fascinating myths. You will also get a firsthand glimpse into the daily lifestyle of the ancient Yoruba people and how they organized their daily activities.Dive in to know more about these incredible people, such as:Yorubaland, the homeland of the Yoruba peopleThe founding ancestors and the initial Yoruba kingdomsThe incredible stories of legendary rulers who shaped YorubalandAncient Yoruba politics and how their economy developedThe exciting events that made the Oyo Empire the largest Yoruba kingdom and its famed founder, OranyanProminent Yoruba myths and folktalesScroll up and click the “add to cart” button to learn all that and more about the Yoruba people! Read more

History is rife with tales of fighting women. More often than not, these stories prove more legend than history. Dating back to the Amazons of ancient Asia Minor, myths of fierce, autonomous women of martial excellence abound. And yet, the only thoroughly documented Amazons in world history are the women warriors of Dahomey, an eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Western African kingdom. Once dubbed a "small black Sparta," residents of Dahomey shared with the Spartans an intense militarism and sense of collectivism. Moreover, the women of both kingdoms prided themselves on bodies hardened from childhood by rigorous physical exercise. But Spartan women kept in shape to breed male warriors, Dahomean Amazons to kill them. Originally palace guards, the Amazons had evolved by the 1760s into professional troops armed mainly with muskets, machetes and clubs. Theoretically wives of the king and quartered in his palaces, they were sworn to celibacy on pain of death. In compensation they enjoyed a semi-sacred status and numerous privileges, including the right to own slaves. By the 1840s their numbers had grown to 6,000. The Amazons served under female officers and had their own bands, flags and insignia: they outdrilled, outshot and outfought men, became frontline troops and fought tenaciously and with great valour till the kingdom's defeat by France in 1892. The product of meticulous archival research, Amazons of Black Sparta is defined by Alpern's gift for narrative and will stand as the most comprehensive and accessible account of the woman warriors of Dahomey. Read more

“Paul Farmer brings his considerable intellect, empathy, and expertise to bear in this powerful and deeply researched account of the Ebola outbreak that struck West Africa in 2014. It is hard to imagine a more timely or important book.” —Bill and Melinda Gates"[The] history is as powerfully conveyed as it is tragic . . . Illuminating . . . Invaluable." —Steven Johnson, The New York Times Book ReviewIn 2014, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea suffered the worst epidemic of Ebola in history. The brutal virus spread rapidly through a clinical desert where basic health-care facilities were few and far between. Causing severe loss of life and economic disruption, the Ebola crisis was a major tragedy of modern medicine. But why did it happen, and what can we learn from it? Paul Farmer, the internationally renowned doctor and anthropologist, experienced the Ebola outbreak firsthand—Partners in Health, the organization he founded, was among the international responders. In Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds, he offers the first substantive account of this frightening, fast-moving episode and its implications. In vibrant prose, Farmer tells the harrowing stories of Ebola victims while showing why the medical response was slow and insufficient. Rebutting misleading claims about the origins of Ebola and why it spread so rapidly, he traces West Africa’s chronic health failures back to centuries of exploitation and injustice. Under formal colonial rule, disease containment was a priority but care was not – and the region’s health care woes worsened, with devastating consequences that Farmer traces up to the present. This thorough and hopeful narrative is a definitive work of reportage, history, and advocacy, and a crucial intervention in public-health discussions around the world. Read more

A richly illustrated examination of the evolution of Portuguese air power and guerrilla air defenses during the conflict's most active years.From 1963 to 1974, Portugal and its nationalist enemies fought an increasingly intense war for the independence of "Portuguese" Guinea, then a colony but now the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. For most of the conflict Portugal enjoyed virtually unchallenged air supremacy, and increasingly based its military strategy and political pacification program on this singular advantage. The Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa, abbreviated FAP) consequently played a crucial role in the Guinean war. Indeed, throughout the conflict, the FAP - despite the many challenges it faced - proved to be the most effective and responsive military argument against the PAIGC rebels, which was fighting for the colony's independence from European rule.The air war for Guinea stands as a remarkable episode in air power history for several reasons. It was, for example, the first conflict in which a non-state irregular force deployed defensive missiles against an organized air force. Moreover, the degree to which Portugal relied on its air power was such that its effective neutralization doomed Lisbon's military strategy in the province. Ultimately, the FAP's unexpected combat losses initiated a cascade of effects that degraded, in turn, its own operational initiative; the battlefield effectiveness of increasingly air-dependent ground forces; Portuguese military morale and national resilience; and ultimately, Lisbon's tenability as an imperial power. The air war for Portuguese Guinea thus represents a compelling illustration of the value - and vulnerabilities - of air power in a counter-insurgency context, as well as the negative impacts of overreliance on air supremacy.This, the second of three volumes in the Sanctuary Lost mini-series, examines the evolution of Portuguese air power and guerrilla air defenses during the conflict's most active years, as both sides sought the means and methods required to counter the other's efforts to control Guinea's airspace. It is richly illustrated throughout with original photographs and includes specially commissioned color artworks. Read more

Discover the Songhai Empire, the last West African medieval kingdom to flourish before the transatlantic slave trade began.As the world progressed through medieval times, great empires rose and fell across Europe and Africa. However, in the 15th century, trans-oceanic voyages were allowing imperialism to reach distant shores. This new form of control became rampant, and untamed capitalism put the slave trade at its core.During this time in West Africa, a mighty empire was reaching its zenith. The Songhai Empire built on the power of the trans-Saharan trade routes like its predecessors, the Ghana and Mali Empires. In fact, the Songhai Empire became the greatest kingdom West Africa had ever seen.With the advent and spread of Islam across North and West Africa from the 8th to the 13th centuries, as well as the reintroduction of the camel, Songhai was ideally poised to maximize the riches that came from trade, culture, and intellectualism, which the sandy roads brought to their door.In this book, you will learn:The secrets of the Songhai Empire’s success that accelerated its expansion and complexityThe real origins and purposes of remote locations like TimbuktuMore about the early trade routes that put Songhai on the mapSonghai’s impact on a new type of tribal governance that dominated their landsWhich religion formed the backbone of the kingdomAbout the mysterious disappearance of the empireScroll up and click the “add to cart” button to learn more about the Songhai Empire! Read more

Whether we realize it or not, stories and characters from Timbuktu are everywhere in our modern-day lives.The great Mansa Musa was the most iconic king of the Mali Empire. Considered to be one of the richest men ever, Mansa Musa is not only the right answer to a commonly asked trivia question but also one of the inspirations behind Marvel’s Black Panther. Although the other kings who reigned over Timbuktu may not be known quite as well as Mansa Musa, their lives have also inspired stories we are quite familiar with today.Likely the second most well-known character in Timbuktu’s history is Mansa Sundiata, and although you may not know him by name, you may recognize his nickname: the Lion King. Many people throughout the years believe he may have served as an inspiration for Disney’s iconic movie.Timbuktu was once a conglomerate of trade, education, arts, and religion, attracting settlers and visitors from all over the world, similar to the massive cities of today. So, how did a city that could be titled the New York City or London of its time become synonymous with the middle of nowhere?Learn about Timbuktu’s various leaders, the people’s struggle to regain power, and why such a great city is now almost in ruins.In this book, you will learn about:The foundation of Timbuktu and some believed translations of its nameThe life of the Tuaregs, the original people of TimbuktuThe creation of the Mali Empire and its acquisition of TimbuktuThe various mansas of the Mali Empire, including the great Mansa MusaThe collapse of the Mali EmpireThe creation and early stages of the Songhai EmpireThe various kings of the Songhai Empire who transformed TimbuktuThe collapse of the Songhai Empire and Morocco’s occupation in TimbuktuThe early Tuareg rebellions and the transfer of power in Timbuktu between the various groups still inhabiting the city during the Moroccan occupationThe French acquisition of Morocco and TimbuktuFrench Sudan’s (modern-day Mali’s) road to independenceThe creation of the Republic of MaliThe modern-day struggles in Timbuktu between the Tuareg rebels and the terrorist occupationsThe current state of Timbuktu and what’s in store in its futureScroll up and click the “add to cart” button to learn all that and more about Timbuktu! Read more

GUARDIAN: BOOKS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2024WATERSTONES: JANUARY’S BEST BOOKSBBC: BOOK HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2024'GRIPPING' THE TIMESThis is an immersive and revelatory history of the survivors of the Clotilda, the last ship of the Atlantic slave trade, whose lives diverged and intersected in profound ways.The Clotilda docked in Mobile Bay, Alabama, in July 1860 – more than half a century after the passage of a federal law banning the importation of captive Africans, and nine months before the beginning of the Civil War. The last of its survivors lived well into the twentieth century. They were the last witnesses to the final act of a terrible and significant period in world history.In this epic work, Dr. Hannah Durkin tells the stories of the Clotilda’s 110 captives, drawing on her intensive archival, historical, and sociological research. Survivors follows their lives from their kidnappings in what is modern-day Nigeria through a terrifying 45-day journey across the Middle Passage; from the subsequent sale of the ship’s 103 surviving children and young people into slavery across Alabama to the dawn of the Civil Rights movement in Selma; from the foundation of an all-Black African Town (later Africatown) in Northern Mobile – an inspiration for writers of the Harlem Renaissance, including Zora Neale Hurston – to the foundation of the quilting community of Gee’s Bend – a Black artistic circle whose cultural influence remains enormous.An astonishing, deeply compelling tapestry of history, biography and social commentary, Survivors is a tour de force that deepens our knowledge and understanding of the Atlantic slave trade and its far-reaching influence on life today. Read more

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and the world's eighth largest oil producer, but its success has been undermined in recent decades by ethnic and religious conflict, political instability, rampant official corruption and an ailing economy. Toyin Falola, a leading historian intimately acquainted with the region, and Matthew Heaton, who has worked extensively on African science and culture, combine their expertise to explain the context to Nigeria's recent troubles through an exploration of its pre-colonial and colonial past, and its journey from independence to statehood. By examining key themes such as colonialism, religion, slavery, nationalism and the economy, the authors show how Nigeria's history has been swayed by the vicissitudes of the world around it, and how Nigerians have adapted to meet these challenges. This book offers a unique portrayal of a resilient people living in a country with immense, but unrealized, potential. Read more

This book, first published in 1868, became the best-known work of medical officer and writer James Africanus Beale Horton (1835–1883), who was born in Sierra Leone to parents of Igbo descent. He was chosen by the British to train as an army medical officer and attended King's College, London, and Edinburgh University. He returned to West Africa and published his doctoral thesis, which was a medical topography of the region; subsequent works called for health reforms. West African Countries, however, went beyond medicine. In it Horton refutes the derogatory racial theories about Africans rife in Victorian Britain and its empire, and he examines the possibility of self-government and how it might function in Sierra Leone and other territories in West Africa, foreshadowing the decolonisation that took place almost one hundred years later. Read more

If you want to discover the captivating history of West Africa, then keep reading...Beginning in prehistoric times, West Africa has always been an incredible region. Early nomadic tribes settled into some of the earliest communities on Earth and learned how to work with metal. Various West African tribes then became adept at working with metal and were some of the most skilled artisans in the world. Evidence of this can be seen from the art recovered at the outstanding city of Ile-Ife.As civilizations developed in West Africa, nomadic tribes turned into urban societies that built kingdoms. Eventually, some of the greatest leaders in the world created mighty West African empires. Men like Sundiata Keita, Muhammad I Askia, Mansa Musa I, and others were brilliant leaders who built some of the richest empires in the world.As the empires collapsed, the age of the transatlantic slave trade began. Over hundreds of years, West Africa was destabilized by slavery and colonialization. However, after World War II, a surge of independence began.This book covers some of the most important events in West Africa’s history and takes you on several unmissable journeys through time. Take a tour through West Africa’s most interesting historical events with this comprehensive book!Journey through West Africa’s dynamic history and learn about the following:What evidence exists of prehistoric West African communities?The settlements at Dhar Tichitt and its surroundsWhat made the city of Ile-Ife significant?The tumultuous rise and fall of the great West African empiresWas Mansa Musa I the richest king in the world?The impactful legacy of the Songhai EmpireWhat impact did the transatlantic slave trade have on West Africa?The effect of European colonialization on West Africa and how the region still feels it todayThe influential West African leaders who led their countries to freedomColorful and interesting West African culturesDon’t miss out on learning about the exciting history of West Africa. Get your copy today! Read more