Books
30 Best Novels About African history
Bestselling authors first, then star rating.
Period
African History
c. 3,100 BCE–1,999 CE
African History covers the societies, kingdoms and states of a continent whose past cannot be reduced to European colonisation. It begins with early Nile Valley and Saharan cultures, follows the formation of regional trading networks and empires, and continues through the political transformations of the modern era.
The continent’s history includes Nubia and Kush, Aksum and Ethiopia, the western Sahelian empires, the Swahili coast, southern African kingdoms and the long interaction of African societies with Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Atlantic worlds. Slavery, migration, religion, trade and environmental change connect regions while leaving strong local differences.
This parent is designed as a regional gateway. Its child periods distinguish ancient and medieval civilisations from the nineteenth-century scramble, colonial rule, anticolonial resistance, independence and postcolonial change, allowing books to be attached at the most specific useful level.
Non-Fiction
13 Best Non-Fiction Books About African history
Histories, biographies and reference works are listed separately from the historical novels above.
