'Siollun's books are gripping' - Financial Times Much is known about what the Europeans did in Nigeria, yet very little is known about the country before its colonisation. In this surprising history, Max Siollun uncovers a society that was not part of a backward 'dark continent', but one rich with lore to rival those of ancient Greece and Rome. Pre-colonial West Africa had its mesmerising cast of revolutionaries, intellectuals, innovators, and villainous assassins. These include the single family that overthrew three different 1000-year-old kingdoms, the royal court official who engineered the death of four kings, and the little slave boy who became the first black bishop in history, befriending Queen Victoria along the way. This is a story of a highly educated, democratic, artistic people is a vital read for those who want to discover a forgotten era of West African history.