African Empires

Africa is the continent where the first humans were born. They explored the vast land and produced the first tools. And although we migrated from that continent, we never completely abandoned it. From the beginning of time, humans lived and worked in Africa, leaving evidence of their existence in the sands of the Sahara Desert and the valleys of the great rivers such as the Nile and the Niger.

Have you ever wondered why the Mali Empire was so wealthy and well-known? Find your answer in our guide about the Mali Empire, and learn about its foundation and rise to fame under Mansa Musa. Within this audiobook, you’ll listen to the humble beginnings and hardships that befell Sundiata Keita as he founded the Mali Empire. His thrilling story leads into how the empire was structured and its early laws and customs.

Pick up almost any book on early and medieval world history and empire, and where do you find West Africa? On the periphery. This pioneering book tells a different story. Interweaving political and social history and drawing on a rich array of sources, Michael Gomez unveils a new vision of how categories of ethnicity, race, gender, and caste emerged in Africa and in global history.

Dive into the captivating world of ancient African civilizations with Ancient African Empires. Perfect for history enthusiasts and curious minds alike, this audiobook uncovers the rich stories and groundbreaking achievements of Africa’s greatest ancient kingdoms.

Many people know about the Mali Empire and its famous ruler, Mansa Musa. But did you know there was a major empire that came before it? Medieval African history tends to get ignored in favor of medieval European history. However, there is so much rich history to uncover, especially in the region of West Africa. The Ghana Empire is considered one of the greatest empires in African history. There was an abundance of gold in the region, and the Ghana Empire was a powerful trading partner. Advancements were made in administration, allowing it to become a dominant power in the region.

Empire of Rubber tells a sweeping story of capitalism, racial exploitation, and environmental devastation, as the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company transformed Liberia into America's rubber empire. Scouring remote archives, historian and filmmaker Gregg Mitman reveals a history of racial segregation and medical experimentation that reflected Jim Crow America—on African soil. As Firestone reaped fortunes, wealth and power concentrated in the hands of a few elites, fostering widespread inequalities that fed unrest, rebellions and, eventually, civil war.

By the mid-15th century, the Byzantine Empire had collapsed and the various Crusades that had taken place in the region had largely disrupted the overland routes of the Silk Road and trade. Compounding the difficulties of trade was the rise of the Ottoman Empire in place of the Byzantines and the outbreak of the Black Death in Europe. This audiobook chronicles the early efforts by the Portuguese that helped initiate the Age of Exploration, and the ramifications the colonization had across the world.

This powerful book uncovers the untold stories of 30 extraordinary African queens and heroines whose courage, wisdom, and resistance shook empires and shaped nations. From warrior leaders who stood against colonial invasion to visionary rulers who built thriving kingdoms, these women are the forgotten architects of history.

A sweeping history of power, conquest, and memory — and how an empire that no longer exists still shapes one of the world’s most influential nations. For over three centuries, France ruled vast colonies across Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific. From the sugar plantations of Saint-Domingue to the battlefields of Algeria and Indochina, the French Empire reshaped global politics and left behind a legacy as complex as it is contested. In The Long Shadow of Empire, historian Julien Peltier traces the rise and fall of France’s colonial project and shows how its ...

In Oakland, California, in 1966, community college students Bobby Seale and Huey Newton armed themselves, began patrolling the police, and promised to prevent police brutality. Unlike the Civil Rights Movement that called for full citizenship rights for blacks within the US, the Black Panther Party rejected the legitimacy of the US government and positioned itself as part of a global struggle against American imperialism.

For more than two centuries, the story of the Zulu kingdom has captured the world’s imagination—its warriors, its kings, its endurance. But behind the legend lies a deeper, more human saga of ambition, ingenuity, betrayal, and survival. Empire of the Zulu is a sweeping narrative history that traces the rise of one of Africa’s most remarkable civilizations—from the boy Shaka, born under a shadow of shame, to the modern monarchs who inherited his legacy under the glare of colonial rule and beyond. Blending vivid storytelling with meticulous research, Temba Khumalo brings to life the ...

As the old saying goes, a man never knows what he would do until he’s faced with adversity. Carmelo Davis AKA Big Mel was the owner of one of the hottest Record labels in the industry Black Money Empire. At the peak of his success an advisory from the past that came back with intentions of seeing his empire crumble. What was all good just a week ago turns into a total nightmare… ​Big Mel and his BME family found themselves in a fight until the death. As lives are lost and lines get crossed, witness the true definition of love and loyalty as they help each other survive by any means ...

In just over a hundred years - from the death of Muhammad in 632 to the beginning of the Abbasid Caliphate in 750 - the followers of the Prophet swept across the whole of the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain. Their armies threatened states as far flung as the Franks in Western Europe and the Tang Empire in China. The conquered territory was larger than the Roman Empire at its greatest expansion, and it was claimed for the Arabs in roughly half the time.

What if Mussolini was given a second chance—and this time, he forged an empire that held? Here’s What Unfolds in This Strategic and Gripping Sequel to CASCADING DIVERGENCE 1940: An Alternate World History Begins—and Parallel Companion to CASCADING DIVERGENCE 1941: Lebensraum: A Realignment of Power – With Britain neutral and Germany focused on the East, Hitler gives Mussolini a different mission: conquer Africa. Italy Transformed – Facing failure and ridicule, Mussolini unleashes the Steel Doctrine—a brutal, efficient remaking of the Italian state and military. The Conquest ...

Africa in the 13th century lay in ruins due to countless civil wars and the ensuing famine. Amid the hopelessness arose a man who began to rebuild the ravaged diaspora. He instituted a government that was so efficient at managing the country of Mali that soon it was the most progressive nation on the continent. Not long after, one by one, the neighboring countries began to join the fold, until all of West Africa constituted a single empire.

A narrative history of how Attila, Genghis Khan and the so-called barbarians of the steppes shaped world civilization. The barbarian nomads of the Eurasian steppes have played a decisive role in world history, but their achievements have gone largely unnoticed. These nomadic tribes have produced...

#1 Essence bestselling author K’Wan returns with The Diamond Empire, the explosive, hard-hitting follow-up audiobook to the street love story Diamonds and Pearl. It’s about to be an all-out war. While an ambitious rival has taken over Diamonds’s crew, Diamonds lies in wait in exile...

In the tradition of The Lost City of Z and Skeletons in the Zahara, Astoria is the thrilling, true-adventure tale of the 1810 Astor Expedition, an epic, now forgotten, three-year journey to forge an American empire on the Pacific Coast. Peter Stark offers a harrowing saga in which a band of...

A "heartbreakingly resonant" thriller about the explosive intersection of love, race, and justice from a writer and producer of the Emmy-winning Fox TV show Empire (USA Today). "In Bluebird, Bluebird Attica Locke had both mastered the thriller and exceeded it."-Ann Patchett When it comes to law...

A respected and controversial scholar argues that the Crusades were a justified war waged against Muslim terror and aggression This book takes on the current vogue in liberal thinking to argue that, in fact, the Crusades were not unprovoked. They were not the first round of European colonialism...