African and Caribbean People in Britain

African and Caribbean People in Britain by Hakim Adi is a magisterial work that explores the history of black people in Britain from earliest times – African presence predates the Romans by almost 1,000 years – to the present day. It emphasises struggle, protest and activism not only in the histories themselves, but in the writing of these histories and the attempts to make these stories and these voices heard today

BBC History, Best Books of the Year

A comprehensive history of African and Caribbean people in Britain and the vital role they played in the struggle for equality. An epic narrative and a timely book

Wolfson History Prize judges

A comprehensive social and political history ... offers a crucial overview of the steady struggle of African and Caribbean people in Britain to assert their rights and resist oppression

Gretchen Gerzina, TLS

A masterstroke ... A new picture of Britain through the centuries, a multi-ethnic scene that has never been depicted in quite so much detail. Highly recommended for those interested in the truth of our national story

Paterson Joseph

A meticulously researched tour de force that charts black presence on the British Isles from Cheddar Man through the African Roman legions and Black Tudors and into the present day

Kehinde Andrews, Guardian

An essential work that, in exploring national values, inter-cultural alliances and the politics of racialised identity, shines a light on the acts of the remarkable people across time who epitomised a universal struggle for the rights of all

Toyin Agbetu

Comprehensive, thoughtful and original … a revealing revision of Britain at large, puncturing a number of prevailing myths … it ought to be read widely

James Walvin, Family and Community History Journal

From the Roman era to today, Hakim Adi has produced the most comprehensive history of African and Caribbean people since Peter Fryer's Staying Power. His telling of British history characterises the diverse, multi-centred chronology of African and Caribbean landmarks, crises, progress, organisations, communities and, most importantly, individual experiences in Britain

History Matters

I've waited so long to read a comprehensively researched book about Black history on this island. This is it: a journey of discovery and a truly exciting and important work

Zainab Abbas

The most comprehensive and accessible guidebook on what has come to be known as 'Black British history'. Suited for all readers, it provides a useful insight into how this history has developed, and the struggles to push for its expansion. It also inspires us to consider how we might contribute to the ever-growing understanding of this historical field

Young Historians Project

'They came with the Windrush' - well, no, they didn't: Africans have lived here for the past two thousand years. Hakim Adi summarises this history, their accomplishments, their struggles and the issues they now confront. A superb introduction to this long, often hidden, history. Black Lives do Matter

Marika Sherwood