Book cover of 'Black and British' by David Olusoga with illustrations of people on a blue background.

Black and British: An Illustrated History

£16.99

Highly Acclaimed
Curriculum Aligned

The history we share, beautifully told

Award-winning historian David Olusoga brings forgotten stories of Black British history to life in this beautifully illustrated hardback for younger readers. From Roman Africans guarding Hadrian's Wall to an African trumpeter in Henry VIII's court, from Black Georgians fighting for abolition to the Windrush generation and beyond, this book reveals how deeply woven Black history is into the fabric of Britain itself.

Each thoughtfully designed spread combines engaging text with maps, portrait galleries, timelines, photographs and striking contemporary illustrations by Jake Alexander and Melleny Taylor. The book answers questions that aren't often asked: When did Africans first come to Britain? Who are the well-dressed Black children in Georgian paintings? Why did the American Civil War disrupt the Industrial Revolution? Through accessible storytelling and vivid visuals, it makes 1,800 years of shared history feel immediate and personal.

Based on Olusoga's bestselling adult book, this children's edition was created as the book he wished he'd had when he was at primary school—an essential introduction to the previously invisible histories that have shaped our country. The glossary helps with less familiar terms, whilst the generous format invites readers to pore over pages filled with historical documents, artefacts, and portraits that bring each period to life.

Suitable for children aged 7 years and up

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Further Information

What's Included: 80 full-colour illustrated pages with maps, portrait galleries, timelines, historical photographs, contemporary artwork, and glossary of terms.

About the Author: David Olusoga is a British-Nigerian historian, broadcaster, and BAFTA award-winning presenter and filmmaker. He is Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester and a regular contributor to The Guardian, Observer, New Statesman and BBC History Magazine. His adult book Black and British won the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize and the Longman-History Today Trustees Award. He presents the BBC series A House Through Time and wrote and presented the award-winning series Black & British: A Forgotten History and Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners. In 2019 he was awarded an OBE for services to history and community integration.

About the Illustrators: Jake Alexander is an illustrator from the South of England who won both the Macmillan Prize and the Creative Conscience Gold Medal in 2019. He creates work based on popular culture and current events. Melleny Taylor was a secondary school Art & Design teacher before becoming an illustrator. She works with mixed media from pencil crayons to inks and watercolours, and has moved into digital illustration.

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books (Pan Macmillan)

Publication Date: November 2021

Recognition:

Based on the bestselling adult book that won the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize
Praised by The Guardian: "Olusoga's celebrated title is now available in a beautiful and absorbing illustrated format that invites readers from seven and up to pore over its pages"
The Observer: "it truly sings in picture book form with the history made even more vivid via a trove of old paintings, maps and photographs combined with bold artwork"

Product Specifications

ISBN: 9781529052954

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

Publication Date: November 2021

Format: Hardback

Pages: 80

Age Range: 7 years and up

Dimensions: 30 x 25cm

Author: David Olusoga

Illustrators: Jake Alexander and Melleny Taylor

Key Features: Full-colour illustrations throughout, maps, portrait galleries, timelines, historical photographs, contemporary artwork, glossary of terms, covers Roman times to present day.

Why we like it

This is history that should be in every classroom. What makes it exceptional is how Olusoga presents complex historical truths with clarity and warmth, never talking down to young readers. The visual approach means children can enter the story at any point and find something fascinating—whether that's portraits of Black Georgians, maps showing trade routes, or photographs from the Windrush era.