Africa Audiobooks | History

How Can Man Die Better: The Secrets of Isandlwana Revealed

On January 22, 1879, a massive Zulu host attacked the British Army's 24th Regiment in its encampment at the foot of the mountain of Isandlwana. It was the first major encounter in the Anglo-Zulu War and a disastrous defeat for the colonial power. Later that afternoon the victorious Zulus would strike the tiny British garrison at Rorke's Drift. How Can Man Die Better is a unique analysis of the Battle of Isandlwana, covering the weapons, tactics, terrain, and the intriguing characters who made key military decisions. While much is still unknown about the battle, this work eschews the commonly held perception that the British collapse was sudden and that the 24th Regiment was quickly overwhelmed. Rather, historian Mike Snook argues that there was a protracted and heroic defense against a determined and equally heroic foe. A British Army colonel who served in South Africa, Snook reconstructs the final phase of the battle in a way that has never been attempted before.

Lieutenant Colonel Mike Snook (Author), Dennis Kleinman (Narrator)

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The Tunisian Campaign: The History of the Decisive Battles that Ended the Fighting in North Africa d

The fighting in North Africa during World War II is commonly overlooked, aside from the famous battle at El Alamein that pitted the British under General Bernard Montgomery against the legendary “Desert Fox,” Erwin Rommel. But while the Second Battle of El Alamein would be the pivotal action in North Africa, the conflict in North Africa began all the way back in the summer of 1940 when Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared Italy’s entrance into the war. Dealing with the Italians was one thing, but the British faced an entirely different monster in North Africa when Erwin Rommel, a German general who had gained much fame for his role in the invasions of Poland and France, was sent to North Africa in February 1941. Rommel’s directives from the German headquarters were to maneuver in a way that would allow him to hide the fact that his ultimate goal was the capture of Cairo and the Suez Canal. The ultimate plan was that Rommel would not reveal the Germans’ true intentions in North Africa until after the Germans had made headway in their invasion of the Soviet Union. ith the Axis forces trying to push through Egypt towards the Suez Canal and the British Mandate of Palestine, American forces landed to their west in North Africa, which ultimately compelled Rommel to try to break through before the Allies could build up and overwhelm them with superior numbers. Given that the combined Allied forces under Montgomery already had an advantage in manpower, Montgomery also wanted to be aggressive, and the fighting would start in late October 1942 with an Allied attack. The ensuing Tunisian Campaign was a complicated, last-ditch, cut-and-thrust effort on the part of the doomed Axis forces. The various Allied forces arriving from the west were heavily bloodied before U.S. and British airborne and commando units began to mop up key ports and landing facilities. Rommel and his army were clearly staring at defeat.

Charles River Editors (Author), Daniel Houle (Narrator)

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The Moors of the Maghreb: The History of the Muslims in North Africa during the Middle Ages

The term Moor is a historical rather than an ethnic name. It is an invention of European Christians for the Islamic inhabitants of Maghreb (North Africa), Andalusia (Spain), Sicily and Malta, and was sometimes use to designate all Muslims. It is derived from Mauri, the Latin name for the Berbers who lived in the Roman province of Mauretania, which ranged across modern Algeria and Morocco. Saracen was another European term used to designate Muslims, though it usually referred to the Arabic peoples of the Middle East and derives from an ancient name for the Arabs, Sarakenoi. The Muslims of those regions no more refer to themselves by that term than those of North Africa call themselves Moors. Maghreb, or al-Maghreb, is a historical term used by Arabic Muslims for the territory of coastal North Africa from Alexandria to the Atlantic Coast. It means “The West” and is used in opposition to Mashrek, “The East,” used to refer to the lands of Islam in the Middle East and north-eastern Africa. The Berbers refer to the region in their own language as Tamazgha. In a limited, precise sense it can also refer to the Kingdom of Morocco, the proper name of which is al-Mamlakah al-Maghribiyyah, “Kingdom of the West.” Ethnically the people of North Africa are mostly of mixed Arab-Berber descent, and the Berbers are a proud and noble group of peoples dating from ancient times. The term Berber is again a foreign designation, coming from the Greek barbaroi, meaning stranger. By implication, as far as the Greeks and Romans were concerned, the word indicated the people were uncivilized. From this comes the archaic English name Barbary, used to designate the north coast of Africa and still used in “Barbary ape” and the breed of horse known as the Barb. The Berbers call themselves Imazighen, though in truth they are a grouping of different tribes rather than a strictly homogenous group.

Charles River Editors (Author), Colin Fluxman (Narrator)

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White Malice: The CIA and the Covert Recolonization of Africa

A revelatory history of how post-colonial African Independence movements were systematically undermined by one nation above all: the US. In 1958 in Accra, Ghana, the Hands Off Africa conference brought together the leading figures of African independence in a public show of political strength and purpose. Led by the charismatic Kwame Nkrumah, who had just won Ghana's independence, his determined call for Pan-Africanism was heeded by young, idealistic leaders across the continent and by African Americans seeking civil rights at home. Yet, a moment that signified a new era of African freedom simultaneously marked a new era of foreign intervention and control. In White Malice, Susan Williams unearths the covert operations pursued by the CIA from Ghana to the Congo to the UN in an effort to frustrate and deny Africa's new generation of nationalist leaders. This dramatically upends the conventional belief that the African nations failed to establish effective, democratic states on their own accord. As the old European powers moved out, the US moved in. Drawing on original research and recently declassified documents, and told through an engaging narrative, Williams introduces readers to idealistic African leaders and to the secret agents, ambassadors, and even presidents who deliberately worked against them, forever altering the future of a continent.

Susan Williams (Author), Chanté Mccormick (Narrator)

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The Destruction of Civilization about 10,500 B.C.

There is much of human history which we don’t know due to lost records, the oceans covering our ancestor’s cities, natural disasters, and reasons we don’t know. There are also many anomalies which have been found showing ruins and objects from the far past which should not exist. Some of the Historical Facts this book is based on: Plato said that Atlantis was destroyed 9,000 years before his time in Greece. Plato lived in 433 B.C. which would have meant Atlantis was destroyed 9,433 years B.C. or 11,433 years before the current age. The Younger Dryas Period in History was between roughly 12,900 and 11,600 years ago according to paleontologists and archeologists. Many researchers think this period of climate change resulted from comets hitting the Earth at this time. The Vulture Stone at Gobekli Tepe which some scientists have interpreted as having a record of comets hitting the Earth about 11,000 B.C. My study on ancient history has led me to write a number of books on the topic which can be found on my website at this link: https://mkettingtonbooks.com/ancient-history.html The above facts and all of my research has led me to conclude that there were ancient world spanning civilizations which existed and were destroyed on the Earth in the 9,000 B.C. to 11,000 B.C period. There may have been earlier civilizations too, but the focus of this book is on that time period. The following chapters review some of the evidence of these ancient civilizations which existed at these same very ancient times.

Martin K. Ettington (Author), Martin K. Ettington (Narrator)

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G/GESCHICHTE Porträt - Der Nil

Der Nil, ein Fluss der die Menschheitsgeschichte prägte wie kein anderer. Ägypten ist ein Paradebeispiel dafür, wie ein Land von seiner Umwelt profitieren kann. Denn die ägyptische Hochkultur konnte nur durch den Nil einem der größten Reiche der Menschheitsgeschichte werden. Sie verstanden es, wie kaum ein anderes Volk den Nil als Lebensquelle zu verwenden. Er wurde Teil der Agrarstruktur, für Verwaltungszwecke genutzt und durch Schifffahrt konnte eine ganze Nation problemlos bereist werden. Aber Ägypten war nicht das einzige Land, welches vom Nil geprägt wird. Auch der Sudan, Äthiopien und Ostafrika lebten mit und gegen den Fluss. Doch warum fasziniert uns dieser Fluss bis heute? Und was hat es mit den Legenden, die um ihn ranken auf sich?-

G Geschichte (Author), Clemens Benke (Narrator)

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Loot: Britain and the Benin Bronzes

In 1897, Britain responded to the killing of a group of officials by razing an empire to the ground. The men had been travelling to the ancient Kingdom of Benin, in what is now Nigeria, when they were ambushed and killed by local soldiers. Just six weeks later, the British had exacted their revenge, set Benin aflame, exiled the king and annexed the territory. They also made off with some of Africa's greatest works of art. This is the story of the 'Benin Bronzes', their creation, theft, and what should happen to them now. When first exhibited in London they caused a sensation and helped reshape European attitudes towards Africa, challenging the prevailing view of the continent as 'backward' and without culture. But seeing them in the British Museum today is, in the words of one Benin City artist, like 'visiting relatives behind bars'. In a time of fevered debate about the legacies of empire, loot, museums, and history, what does the future hold for the Bronzes themselves?

Barnaby Phillips (Author), Michael Page (Narrator)

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A Strange Campaign: The Battle for Madagascar

Madagascar provided the stunning backdrop for one of the strangest conflicts of the Second World War — when Britain went head to head against one of its closest allies. When British forces landed on the island in 1942, the enemy they faced wasn’t German, Japanese or even Italian, this time the opposing forces were French. Concerned that Japan might use Madagascar as a strategic base to disrupt the supply line to India, Britain was keen to take control of the island. However, the Vichy forces were keen to defend the French colony and prevent it becoming part of the British Empire. A Strange Campaign: The Battle for Madagascar gives a detailed account of this fascinating but little-known period of military history. Even at the time, the conflict was a controversial one, pitting two colonial empires against each other. However, it was also ground-breaking as it was the first time Allied forces had staged a major amphibious invasion. The lessons learned on the shores of Madagascar would prove to be invaluable two years later during the D-day landings in Normandy. Military historian Russell Phillips examines the tactics used in the battle for Madagascar which included secret agents, dummy paratroopers and attempted bribery. But just how did the British finally break down months of resistance by the French? And how did a tug-of-war over an island in the middle of the Indian ocean influence the rest of the Second World War?

Peter Caddick-Adams, Russell Phillips (Author), Henry Hyde (Narrator)

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African History: A Very Short Introduction

This Very Short Introduction looks at Africa's past and reflects on the changing ways it has been imagined and represented, both in Africa and beyond. The author illustrates important aspects of Africa's history with a range of fascinating historical examples, drawn from over five millennia across this vast continent. The multitude of topics that the listener will learn about in this succinct work include the unity and diversity of African cultures, slavery, religion, colonial conquest, the diaspora, and the importance of history in understanding contemporary Africa. The book examines questions such as: Who invented the idea of 'Africa'? How is African history pieced together, given such a lack of documentary evidence? How did Africa interact with the world 1,000 years ago? Africa has been known as 'the cradle of mankind,' and its recoverable history stretches back to the Pharaohs. But the idea of studying African history is itself new, and the authors show why it is still contested and controversial. This VSI, the first concise work of its kind, will prove essential for anyone interested in the African continent and the diversity of human history.

John Parker, Richard Rathbone (Author), Dion Graham (Narrator)

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The Wretched of the Earth

First published in 1961, Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth is a masterful and timeless interrogation of race, colonialism, psychological trauma, and revolutionary struggle. In 2020, it found a new readership in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests and the centering of narratives interrogating race by Black writers. Bearing singular insight into the rage and frustration of colonized peoples, and the role of violence in spurring historical change, the book incisively attacks the twin perils of post-independence colonial politics: the disenfranchisement of the masses by the elites on the one hand, and intertribal and interfaith animosities on the other. A landmark text for revolutionaries and activists, The Wretched of the Earth is an eternal touchstone for civil rights, anti-colonialism, psychiatric studies, and Black consciousness movements around the world. Translated by Richard Philcox, and featuring now-classic critical essays by Jean-Paul Sartre and Homi K. Bhabha, as well as a new essay, this sixtieth anniversary edition of Fanon’s most famous text stands proudly alongside such pillars of anti-colonialism and anti-racism as Edward Said’s Orientalism and The Autobiography of Malcolm

Frantz Fanon (Author), Sebastain Brown (Narrator)

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More Out of Place Artifacts

I love investigating out of place artifacts. The idea that they exist in contradiction to many accepted theories of our history says to me that we don’t know the real history of humanity and the Earth that we thought we did. My first book on the subject is titled “Strange Objects Which Should Not Exist” which I published in 2019. After it was done I kept reading articles on more out of place objects—some of which were recently discovered. I realized there was enough material that I need to work on a “Part 2” book on the same subject. Some of these objects might be fraudulent, but the fact that so many objects of this type exist says to me that there is some reality to them. In this book we cover some well-known and documented devices like the Antikythera Mechanism, and others which may be unknown to most of you. I hope you enjoy reading about and considering these strange discoveries as much as I enjoyed researching them.

Martin K. Ettington (Author), Martin K. Ettington (Narrator)

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Cleopatra: The Queen who Challenged Rome and Conquered Eternity

One of Italy’s most revered cultural figures reconstructs the extraordinary life of the legendary Cleopatra at the height of her power in this epic story of passion, intrigue, betrayal, and war. Our world today would not be the same without Cleopatra. While she is one of the most famous figures in history, the legendary Egyptian queen remains, in many ways, an enigma. In this mesmerizing history, Alberto Angela offers a fresh and dynamic portrait of this extraordinary ruler, revealing a strikingly modern woman born in an ancient era and skilled in the art of diplomacy and war, who would conquer the heart of a general—Marc Antony—and Rome itself. Cleopatra focuses on a twenty-year period that marked a sweeping change in Roman history, beginning with the assassination of Julius Caesar that led to the end of the Republic, and ending with the suicides of Antony and Cleopatra and the birth of the Augustan Empire. Angela brings the people, stories, customs, and traditions of this fascinating period alive as he transports us to the chaotic streets of the capital of the ancient world, the exotic port of Alexandria in Egypt, and to the bloody battlefields where an empire was won and lost. Meticulously researched and rich with vivid detail, this sweeping history, reminiscent of the works of Simon Schama, Mary Beard’s SPQR, and Tom Holland’s Rubicon, recreates this remarkable era and the woman at its turbulent center. Translated from the Italian by Katherine Gregor “[Cleopatra] combines scholarship with novelistic detail and character depth…[Alberto Angela] effectively draws on previous scholarship, wading through legend and myth to get at the truth of what actually occurred… a character-rich historical biography.” -- Kirkus Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Alberto Angela (Author), Derek Perkins (Narrator)

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Africa Audiobooks in History