Books2Africa Press – förlag

Sidney Bechet ranks among the greatest of the early masters of jazz, up there with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie. Born of a Creole family in New Orleans, and very conscious of the evils of slavery, his genius flowered at an early age. He is acknowledged as the greatest ever player of the soprano saxophone and he also played the clarinet. He toured widely in the US and Europe. During his short stay in England in 1919 he played before King George V and Queen Mary. A plaque in his memory is planned for the place where her lived in London. From 1949 until his death in 1959 he lived in France where is still revered. Some of his compositions such as Petite Fleur are jazz classics. Daniel-Sidney Bechet was only five when his father died but his whole life has been spent promoting his father's memory and he became an accomplished jazz musician himself. This book describes his father's life as well ashis own. It provides fascinating glimpses of the world of jazz in the US and in France and of the personalities he encounters: Lena Horne, Edith Piaf, Yves Montand, Kenny Clarke, Moustache and many more.Included with the book a free CD of Bechet's music, "Homage"played by Daniel's own Jazz Quintet with a contribution from the internationally known African Jazz musician and saxophonist, Manu Dibango..

This is the third in a trilogy by the well-known African-American scholar, Runoko Rashidi. In the first two volumes which have sold well, Black Star: The African Presence in Early Europe, and African Star over Asia: The African Presence in the East he interpreted the work of earlier scholars and provided new evidence of the important historical role of Black people in Europe and Asia. This new book pays tribute to the great scholar, Ivan Van Sertima, author of They Came before Columbus and founder of the Journal of African Civilizations. It brings together the author's own research and that of Van Sertima and other Black scholars including Chancellor Williams, William Leo Hansberry, John G.Jackson and Cheikh Anta Diop. It discusses the origins, the nature and the historical development of the civilisations, providing details of the dynasties. It throws light on African links with Sumer, South Asia and, not least, the Olmec and their successors in Mexico. It punctures several racial myths including those relating to anthropological theory.

Didier Drogba is best known for his career at Chelsea, whose supporters voted him the club's greatest ever player, where he scored more goals than any other foreign player and is the club's fourth highest goal scorer of all time. He became the only player in history to score in four separate FA Cup finals when he scored in Chelsea's win over Liverpool in the 2012 final. Drogba has captained the Ivory Coast national team since 2006 and is the nation's all-time top goal scorer with 62 goals. He captained the team in the World Cup in 2014. He was named African Footballer of the Year in 2006 and 2009. In October 2013, he became the first African footballer to win the prestigious Golden Foot while playing for Galatasaray. This cartoon book biography describes the childhood and schooldays of little 'Tito', his first visit to France, how he had to study and get away to play football. It follows him to his first successes with the teams of Le Mans and Guingamp, his happy time with Olympic Marseilles and his initial reluctance to move to Chelsea. Meanwhile, he falls in love and becomes a father. He is also badly affected by the crisis that breaks out in Ivory Coast and, at an early age, he shows his hatred of violence and war. The images are vividly drawn and the story is full of humour and excitement. His key attributes include his physical strength, ability in the air, and retaining possession of the ball. This book will be appreciated by lovers of football from the age of 8 to 80.

The First Communist in Fort Jameson is the compelling autobiography of Nigel Watt, whose life has been intertwined with Africa’s journey from late colonial rule to independence and beyond.Arriving in Northern Rhodesia in 1961, Watt worked in education during the final years of colonialism and remained after independence, contributing to Zambia’s development and later serving in leadership roles within the international voluntary service movement and as Director of the Africa Centre in London. His work took him across southern, eastern and central Africa, as well as to India and Europe.Blending political insight, institutional history and vivid personal recollection, this memoir provides valuable perspective on Zambia’s transformation, the evolution of voluntary service, and grassroots peace and reconciliation efforts in countries including Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Written with clarity, commitment and understated humour, it is an important record of Africa’s past sixty years

The second novel by Senegalese author Ousmane Sembene is set in colonial French West Africa and tells the story of Oumar Faye who returns from years in the French army to his homeland. It presents a vivid and ultimately shocking account of that moment when the colonialist mindset had not changed but when African opposition was starting to stir.

This book reconstitutes the history of Aten before the British occupation of Nigeria to the second half of the 20th century, with emphasis on the socio-political organization of the community. It departs from the colonial narrative that reduced Aten’s highly complex social system to be consistent with the so-called “pagan” tribes of Plateau State.

Hanibal (1697- 1761) was probably the most outstanding African in Europe in the 18th Century, his rags to riches life, and the fact that he was the great-grandfather of Russia's greatest writer, Alexander Pushkin, makes him of even greater interest. Now finally appearing in English, this was the book, based on original research, which proved fairly conclusively that Hanibal (sometimes spelt Gannibal in English) was born in Logone-Birni, in present day Cameroon rather than, as was supposed, in Ethiopia. This book recounts his life story. He was taken as a slave to Istanbul and then to Russia at the age of 8 where Tsar Peter the Great adopted and educated him. He was sent to study mathematics and military engineering in France, where he joined the French army fighting against Spain and was promoted to the rank of captain. Back in Russia, he was promoted but briefly exiled to Siberia where he designed fortresses on the frontier. His first marriage was a disaster but he went on to marry a Swedish aristocrat with whom he had seven children, one of whom, Osip, was to be the grandfather of Pushkin. There were moments in his life when he suffered for being black, yet he ended his life as a pillar of the Russian aristocracy, even owning serfs. Hanibal's contribution to the technical advancement of the Russian army was huge. He was commander-in-chief, director of fortifications, and head of the engineering corps. In 1725-26 he published an important text book on geometry and fortification for engineering students and introduced the study of civil engineering into the Russian schools of military engineering.