Explore this curated list of books about Africa and find your next read. From historical fiction to memoirs and nonfiction history books about pre-historic Africa and modern Africa, you’ll find recommendations for reading a book about Africa here.

Things Fall Apart
by Chinua Achebe
IN A NUTSHELL. Classic fiction exploring European colonialism in Africa
SHORT & SIMPLE. Fictional story about an African clan leader before and after European colonial forces arrive.
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you want to read a classic novel about Africa’s encounter with European colonialism.
This 1958 novel by Chinua Achebe is an internationally acclaimed classic work of literature and the first book in Achebe’s African Trilogy (with No Longer At Ease and Arrow of God). Things Fall Apart tells the story of the early days of colonialism through the life of protagonist and African clan leader Okonkwo.
fiction + classics
Africa Is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent
by Dipo Faloyin
IN A NUTSHELL. Explore the diversity of the African continent
SHORT & SIMPLE. Learn about the history of African countries, modern day Africa, and the diversity within Africa, in this nonfiction book about Africa.
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you want to read a book about Africa that explores the country’s diversity.
This 2022 nonfiction release tells the diverse histories and modern-day stories of the countries that make up the African continent. While dispelling myths of a monolithic Africa, Africa Is Not A Country also delves into such topics as the struggle for democracy and the damage wrought by charity campaigns.
nonfiction
Homegoing
by Yaa Gyasi
IN A NUTSHELL. Historical fiction about two half-sisters in Ghana in the 1700s, their descendants, and the repercussions of slavery into the present day.
SHORT & SIMPLE. Follow the lives and lineage of two Ghanian half-sisters in the 18th century as one marries an English man and the other is enslaved.
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you want to read historical fiction about Africa that explores the impact of slavery.
Gyasi’s Homecoming which explores slavery’s legacy through the stories of two half-sisters and their descendants has won numerous awards. One of the half-sisters has an English husband and lives a life of comfort while the other is enslaved in America. Readers follow the stories of the sisters’ descendants through colonialism, wars in Ghana, southern plantations, the American Civil War, and the ensuing decades up to the present day.
fiction + historical fiction
Breaking the Silence: Anthology of Liberian Poetry
edited by Patricia Jabbeh Wesley
IN A NUTSHELL. Collection of poetry and literature by Liberian writers from the 1800s to the present
SHORT & SIMPLE. Explore Liberia’s past and present through the words of its poets and writers from the 1800s to today.
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you’re looking for a poetry book about Africa.
Breaking the Silence is an Anthology of works by Liberian poets and writers from the 1800s to the modern day compiled by a Liberian editor who emigrated to the United States during Liberia’s Civil War. Early works in this collection explore Liberia’s unique history as a nation settled by freed and freeborn Black slaves from the United States.
poetry
Sankofa: A Novel
by Chibundu Onuzo
IN A NUTSHELL. A forty-something woman searches for the African father she never knew
SHORT & SIMPLE. After her separation from her husband and her mother’s death, Anna starts a search for herself and the African father she never knew.
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you want to read a fictional story about Africa involving a search for self and family.
Sankofa follows forty-something Anna’s investigation into the life of an African father she never knew. As Anna searches for herself and her roots, she learns about her father’s days of radical politics as a student in 70s London and his presidency – or possible dictatorship – of a small West African nation. Anna even eventually discovers that her father is still alive. Sankofa is a perfect choice for readers looking for a book about Africa that also explores the search for self and family.
fiction
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
by Trevor Noah
IN A NUTSHELL. Trevor Noah’s memoir about growing up in South Africa
SHORT & SIMPLE. Trevor Noah tells about his life growing up in South Africa in the final years of apartheid as the child of a white father and Black mother.
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you want to read a memoir about South Africa.
Trevor Noah, host of The Daily Show, was born the child of white father and Black mother in apartheid South Africa; as a result, he was hidden inside for most of his early childhood. In Born a Crime, Noah describes growing up in South Africa in this moving memoir filled with his characteristic humor.
nonfiction + biographies & memoirs
Th e Shadow King
by Maaza Mengiste
IN A NUTSHELL. Historical fiction about female soldiers in Ethiopia fighting Mussolini’s invasion.
SHORT & SIMPLE. At the brink of World War II, female soldiers in Ethiopia fight Italian dictator Mussolini’s invasion in this piece of historical fiction.
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you want to read a World War II era historical fiction book about Africa.
Mengiste’s fast-paced work of historical fiction, The Shadow King, follows the emotional story of an orphaned maid turned solider at the brink of World II in Ethiopia. This book is the perfect choice for lovers of WWII era historical fiction looking for a book about Africa.
fiction + historical fiction
The Civilizations of Africa: A History to 1800
by Christopher Ehret
IN A NUTSHELL. History of Africa from 22,000 BCE to 1800 CE
SHORT & SIMPLE. Discover the early history of Africa’s civilizations, inventions, and economy with this nonfiction book about Africa.
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you want to read a book about early African history.
An American scholar of African history tells the story of Africa’s early civilizations from 22,000 BCE to 1800 CE. For readers with an interest in the early history of Africa this nonfiction book about Africa is a great choice.
nonfiction + history
A History of Modern Africa: 1800 to the Present
by Richard J. Reid
IN A NUTSHELL. History of Africa from 1800 to modern day
SHORT & SIMPLE. A thorough introductory text about modern African history written at the undergraduate level.
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you want to read a book about modern African history.
Learn about the last 200 years of African history in this thorough introductory book about Africa’s modern history which covers colonialism and the post-colonial period. A History of Modern Africa is the perfect choice for readers looking for a book about modern African history.
nonfiction + history
This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President
by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
IN A NUTSHELL. Memoir of the first female president in Africa
SHORT & SIMPLE. Story of the life of Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you want to read a book about Africa focused on a politician.
In this book, former Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf recounts her life while providing a history of Liberia from its founding by freed slaves to its struggles in the aftermath of civil war.
nonfiction + biographies & memoirs + government & politics