“They would complain to the owners of pubs, restaurants or hotels that were serving Black GIs as guests. It's super accessible, and while it's marketed as for younger readers (probably about twelve is the sweet spot?) it manages the feat that some writers who solely write kids books fail to achieve by not being extremely patronising, so I would recommend to all, although older readers might enjoy the adult version more - I wouldn't know because I haven't read it :(Īnyone unfamiliar with the history of Black Britons.Īuthor Olusoga provides this children’s version of his book Black and British: A Forgotten History.

Either way, I really enjoyed it and felt I learnt a lot - there's really nothing more I could ask from it. I was a bit iffy about the discussion about Haitian independence without any mention of the fact Haiti then had to pay France compensation for being so kind as to surrender in a war they were losing, crippling the Haitian economy in the process, but then again, it was a British history book so perhaps Olusoga didn't want to get bogged down. This was a really quick, succinct and well-written book which covered a lot of stuff that the education system *conveniently* chooses to ignore. This is very much a recommended book for everyone, so if you see it listed, please do read it! Using photos and other images, the past is made accessible and clear. So much has been achieved that has not been discussed so is lost which is wrong. History like this must be made more accessible and not hidden. The history of black people in Britain is not discussed fully and so the picture we are taught is very skewed and negatively biased to those who are not white, so the true history of Britain is forgotten. It also provides the reader with a good starting point to look further and wider into the topics and events discussed in this book. This is done in a way that can be read by all and is done in a way that is honest and factual. There is a lot to take in with this and would be a good place to start for young readers, and also for older readers too. There is so much information to read in this book, it is definitely a recommended read! This book was a really interesting read, covering the history of black people who have been in Britain since the Roman invasion.

Black and british by david olusoga