Who else is enjoying the grim weather? With the sound of rain making its way indoors, the dull greyness of the sky making the lighting seem even more cosy, I am loving getting warm and comfortable inside. This is the perfect weather for reading a book with a cup of coffee. Last week’s recommendation was a dystopian novel, which,in a way, is telling the history of an alternative world. Or perhaps, giving us the story of a future that may still come into fruition. Therefore, this week I thought it would be good to do the opposite of this. Instead, this time we will be looking at a book which reveals a slice of real history and, unfortunately, a history that has often been ignored. It is packed full of information and stories that I wish were on my school history curriculum when I was younger!
David Olusoga wrote the incredible book ‘Black and British: A Forgotten History’, which accompanied his BBC TV show. The blurb beautifully sums up what Olusoga wants to get across in this book. He wants to show that “Black British history is as global as the empire. It is a triangular history, firmly planted in Britain, Africa and the Americas. On all three continents stand its ruins and its relics.” By travelling back to the times of the Romans, Olusoga brings our attention to the ‘Aurelian Moors’ and shows that black British history goes much further back than many people would guess. This is what I particular love about this book; it shows so many examples of important events that have been largely ignored. Events that once we understand and appreciate, can have large impacts on the way we view the world today.