Born in Blackness

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Revealing the central yet intentionally obliterated role of Africa in the creation of modernity, vitally reframes our understanding of world history. This book is filled with countless eyeopeners… All history is, by definition, revisionist. In connecting the various dots, French is inviting us to reconsider what we understand about how we got here…. Painful and necessary… [an] infuriating and hugely enlightening book. The way we think about history is entirely wrong, says Howard W French at the start of this magnificent, powerful and absorbing book…. This is not a comfortable or comforting read, but it is beautifully done; a masterpiece even…. French writes with the elegance you would expect from a distinguished foreign correspondent, and with the passion of someone deeply committed to providing a corrective. is laced with arresting nuggets… Filled with pain, but also with pride: pride at the endurance of oppressed millions, at the many slave uprisings and rebellions culminating in the Haitian revolution, which defeated ‘the idea of Black slavery itself,’ and in the cultural riches of the African diaspora… Searing, humbling and essential reading. There are few words that can express the resounding impact of French’s breathtaking work on the known historiography of African and African American history . . . Highly recommended for any audience. A Black journalist reframes modern history by restoring Africa to its rightful place at the center of the story . . . This meticulously researched book eloquently debunks conventional understanding of European conquest . . . A fascinating retelling of modern history that restores Africa to its rightful place. US

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