There Was a Country

A Personal History of Biafra

By: Chinua Achebe

Narrated by: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

From the legendary author of Things Fall Apart comes a long-awaited memoir about coming of age with a fragile new nation, then watching it torn asunder in a tragic civil war.

The defining experience of Chinua Achebe's life was the Nigerian civil war, also known as the Biafran War, of 1967-1970. The conflict was infamous for its savage impact on the Biafran people, Chinua Achebe's people, many of whom were starved to death after the Nigerian government blockaded their borders. By then, Chinua Achebe was already a world-renowned novelist, with a young family to protect. He took the Biafran side in the conflict and served his government as a roving cultural ambassador, from which vantage he absorbed the war's full horror. Immediately after, Achebe took refuge in an academic post in the United States, and for more than 40 years he has maintained a considered silence on the events of those terrible years, addressing them only obliquely through his poetry. Now, decades in the making, comes a towering reckoning with one of modern Africa's most fateful events, from a writer whose words and courage have left an enduring stamp on world literature.

Achebe masterfully relates his experience, both as he lived it and how he has come to understand it. He begins his story with Nigeria's birth pangs and the story of his own upbringing as a man and as a writer so that we might come to understand the country's promise, which turned to horror when the hot winds of hatred began to stir. To read There Was a Country is to be powerfully reminded that artists have a particular obligation, especially during a time of war. All writers, Achebe argues, should be committed writers - they should speak for their history, their beliefs, and their people.

Marrying history and memoir, poetry and prose, There Was a Country is a distillation of vivid firsthand observation and 40 years of research and reflection. Wise, humane, and authoritative, it will stand as definitive and reinforce Achebe's place as one of the most vital literary and moral voices of our age.

"1966", "Benin Road", "Penalty of Godhead", "Generation Gap", "Biafra, 1969", "A Mother in a Refugee Camp", "The First Shot", "Air Raid", "Mango Seedling", "We Laughed at Him", "Vultures", and "After a War" from Collected Poems by Chinua Achebe. Copyright 1971, 1973, 2004 by Chinua Achebe. Used by permission of Anchor Books, a division of Random House, Inc. and The Wylie Agency, LLC.

©2012 Chinua Achebe (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Foreign Policy Must Read 2012" by Books from Global Thinkers

"Chinua Achebe’s history of Biafra is a meditation on the condition of freedom. It has the tense narrative grip of the best fiction. It is also a revelatory entry into the intimate character of the writer’s brilliant mind and bold spirit. Achebe has created here a new genre of literature in which politico-historical evidence, the power of story-telling, and revelations from the depths of the human subconscious are one. The event of a new work by Chinua Achebe is always extraordinary; this one exceeds all expectation." (Nadine Gordimer, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature)

"A fascinating and gripping memoir." (The Wall Street Journal)

Excellent story ruined by poor reading

This is a wonderful account, no doubt well written. Chinua Achebe presented his first account perspectives of the Biafrian war, events leading to it, and a way forward for a new Nigeria. I am so glad that he had the saneness of mind to research, document and reflect. I hope this will inspire others who are still around to share their perspectives without fear.

While the Nobel Laureate is a master story teller, the reader did such a terrible reading the content. When it came to Nigerian names and places, his accents and pronunciations were confusing. I really wish that works of such importance in the future will be given to people who have a decent grasps of how to pronounce important names and places or at least can learn it. Not only did the reader/narrator get almost all the ethnic names and places wrongs, he also didn't seem to put in any effort in reading the names as spelt. These distracted from the message of the book greatly.

Narrator almost ruined it.

Great narrative. Unfortunately the narrator was poor. The pronunciation of Umuahia (Uuuh mu a hia) was very annoying.

A riveting history of Nigeria

This book, in my opinion, is Achebe’s magnus opus. The call to action for young Nigerians (and Africans) to restructure our leadership and define our democracy needs to be heeded by all.

Gave me a deeper perspective

Any additional comments?

This book really helped me get an in-depth idea of the politics of the Biafran war and of Chinua Achebe's life. It was a worthwhile read. It would have been awesome if the reader had some instruction on pronouncing Igbo words, since it is a tonal language.. pronunciation is of utmost importance. :) Otherwise, good experience.

narration

wrong pronunciation of names and cities, which should've been properly pronounced by any nigerian narrator.

A must read for all Nigerians

Great narrative of historical events that occurred in Nigeria that would help younger generations get a better understanding of how the country got to its current state. Not a neutral perspective of events, but it’s still worth reading or listening to.
Narrator mispronounced the names of lots of places and things, but it’s understandable.

Narrator not good with Igbo words.

The narrator had difficulty pronouncing Igbo words.. infact he did not do well. Please get someone better versed in Igbo language.

narration should have been done by a native Igbo speaker

Imagine having a Nigerian narrate a French author. I think it was disrespectful to have the narration done by someone who doesn’t speak the native Igbo language. There is as a lot of disservice done to the Igbo words, the Igbo people and Mr Achebe himself.
I don’t have anything personal with the narrator but the I think the folks who authorized it should have done their home work.

Eye opening

The writer deep knowledge and wisdom is one of a kind!As African I am super proud of him!!

Truthfully, clearly, and honestly stated

Thank God for Achebe. Now we know where and why Nigeria started going off the rails. I hope the current generation of Nigerians are ready and willing to restore balance, sanity, and progress to the country.