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The Rise and Fall of Twelve African Queens and Warriors
by Paula Akpan
Discover the reigns of twelve African queens and warriors from across the continent in this immersive and pioneering history.
Njinga Mbande. Nana Yaa Asantewaa. Makobo Modjadji VI. Ranavalona the First.
These queens and warriors ruled vast swathes of the African continent, where they led, loved, and fought for their kingdoms and people. Their impact can still be felt today, and yet, beyond the lands they called home, so few of us have ever heard their names.
In When We Ruled, historian Paula Akpan takes us into the worlds of these powerful figures, following their stories and how they came to rule and influence the futures of their people. Through deep research and discovery, Akpan will uncover new truths and grapple with uncomfortable realities, allowing us to be immersed in countless moments of bravery, intrigue, and, for some, the unraveling of their rule.
With reigns spanning from pre-colonial Nigeria to the rich lands of Rwanda, and from Ancient Egypt to apartheid South Africa, these rulers shed new light on gender politics in these regions, showing how women were celebrated and revered before colonizing powers took hold, and continued to be long after.
In this game-changing narrative of twelve lives, Akpan takes us on a spellbinding, enrapturing, and immersive history that is nothing short of revelatory.
"In When We Ruled, Akpan recounts the histories of a dozen African queens and warriors from around the continent—including Nana Yaa Asantewaa, who led the Asante people against British colonizers and combined both roles. Akpan merges storytelling with anecdotes about her personal research visits to nearly all the homelands of the women she writes about. Those interested in the issues swirling around African history as well as feminist and LGBTQ+ perspectives will welcome her approach, which challenges old certainties and complicates pat narratives." ―Booklist (starred review)
"A rich, sumptuous and beautifully written tapestry of the past that makes my heart soar and ache all at once; this is the history we should have learned in schools. I can't imagine the person I'd be today if I'd known that this is where we came from." —Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie
"A beautiful retelling of the stories of African women long ignored, and attempted erasure. Paula Akpan looks at our collective ancestors and gathers their stories into one book as a hen would her precious eggs, with care and reverence. She explores, questions and offers the world a glimpse into the past. Establishing the grit of African women present, gifting a future bright." —Ayo`délé Olo´fintúàdé, author of Lakiriboto
"Poetic and fierce, this volume is a compelling modern-day journey into past histories of impressive African queens and leaders." —Olivette Otele, author of African Europeans
This information about When We Ruled was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Paula Akpan is a Black British historian and writer who gained a distinction in her fully funded MA in Black British History and who has credits in Vogue, Teen Vogue, The Independent, Stylist, VICE, i-D, Bustle, Time Out London and more. She is a published essayist, having written an essay on Black women and community in the anthology Loud Black Girls and another on Black British lesbians in The Queer Bible.
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