There Was a Country
By Chinua Achebe
- Release Date: 2012-10-11
- Genre: African History
Description
From the legendary author of Things Fall Apart—a long-awaited memoir of coming of age in a fragile new nation, and its destruction in a tragic civil war
For more than forty years, Chinua Achebe maintained a considered silence on the events of the Nigerian civil war, also known as the Biafran War, of 1967–1970, addressing them only obliquely through his poetry. Decades in the making, There Was a Country is a towering account of one of modern Africa’s most disastrous events, from a writer whose words and courage left an enduring stamp on world literature. A marriage of history and memoir, vivid firsthand observation and decades of research and reflection, There Was a Country is a work whose wisdom and compassion remind us of Chinua Achebe’s place as one of the great literary and moral voices of our age.
Reviews
Great Read
5By misstatibabyI enjoyed this book it really educated and inspired me. Professor Achebe is a master storyteller.Insightful
5By TopazonaProf. Achebe style of writing/story telling is compelling, this is documented history and definitely a great read.There was a country
5By By MAkaylaThe Biafran-Nigerian war was a tragedy that could have been averted just like the way Nigeria is drifting to self destruction now.Achebe is a writer that scripts things the way they are without any embellishments. He presented some portions of the before,during,and after events of the war as they were.How I wish we will learn from history,but unfortunately the African Man never does.There was a Country
5By Chike ObianwuWithout a doubt, Chinua Achebe is one of the greats of modern literature in the English language, and perhaps the greatest to come out of my native Nigeria and the African continent. I cannot wait to read this account. My only concern though is that he holds nothing back and that the book says a lot more that has already been said elsewhere by Achebe and others about the Biafran story.Touching
5By ChinomsoI am Igbo. My father fought in this war. Growing up I only got one side of the story, but as I aged, I began to realize that it's important to understand both sides of every story. This war was tragic, but thanks to this book and authors like Uncle Achebe, I'm coming to terms with my history (past and present).An author and a gentleman
5By Mazi MmonuI have read and discussed most of Uncle Chinua's books growing up with my siblings, parents, classmates and teachers. I look forward to understanding my past and making sense of the present as I discuss with my children what it means to be "ourselves" - Ibo and Nigerian in Nigeria today.
