There was a country by chinua achebe african literature. Chinua achebe books list of books by author chinua achebe. It is also a revelatory entry into the intimate character of the writers brilliant mind and bold spirit. Most writers who are beginners, if they are honest with themselves, will admit that they are praying for a readership as they begin to write. Chinua achebe is a nigerian novelist and author of things fall apart, a work that in part led to his being called the patriarch of the african novel. Odumegwu ojukwu declared that the republic of biafra, a small region of. A personal history of biafra audiobook by chinua achebe. This book provides us with the details of the biafran war as chinua achebe remembers them. He has published novels, short stories, essays, and childrens books. Achebes there was a country actually means what it says.
Chief dr chinua achebe wrote a book titled there was a country which had sparked a lot of discussion on the pages of many of our national newspapers of the resent. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read there was a country. From the legendary author of things fall apart comes a longawa. There was a country ebook by chinua achebe rakuten kobo. Nigerian writer chinua achebes memoir, there was a country. The pity of it was that achebe had touched on the raw parts of the yoruba people of this country and many had. Drawing from a background of literature and history, i believe that the book there was a country by chinua achebe gives deeper insight into the development of the country nigeria.
Chinua achebe s history of biafra is a meditation on the condition of freedom. Yet, apart from an interview with transition magazine in 1968 and a book of biafran poems, nigerias most eminent novelist has kept a literary. Achebe has created here a new genre of literature nadine gordimer parthistory, partmemoir, achebe s moving account of the war is laced with anger, but there is also an abiding tone of regret for what nigeria might have been without conflict and mismanagement sunday times about the author. From the legendary author of things fall apart comes a longawaited 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 achebes life was the nigerian civil war, also known as the biafran war, of 19671970.
One of the outstanding contributions of chinua achebes there was a country, a personal history of biafra the last work the renowned author published before he passed away in march 20 is his eloquent explanation of the link between these two problems. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Chinua achebes memoir about the moment when nigeria split apart at a. 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. It gives relevance to the past and the future of our world perhaps projecting the need of a better perspective for younger generation trying to understand their. 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 achebes place as one of the great literary and moral voices of our age.
The book beautifully captures the story of a people who are enterprising, industrious, passionate, ambitious, determined, resilient, gallantry in battle, struggling for survival and their desire for freedom in the face of a repressive, neofeudal and domineering state founded upon. There was a country audiobook, by chinua achebe from the legendary author of things fall apart es a longawaited memoir about ing of age with a fragile new nation, then watching it torn asunder in a tragic civil warthe defining experience of chinua achebe s life was the nigerian civil war, also known as the biafran war, of. But that is not where the story ends, because the book is also. He also authored four subsequent novels, two shortstory collections, and numerous other books. Biafras leader ojukwu and nigerian president, general yakubu gowon, both.
So when chinua achebe says there is a conspiracy by the nigerian authorities to forget about the biafran war i cant help but think he has a point. Pelu awofeso after the dust raised in nigeria by its publication had settled, i finally read there was a country, chinua achebes last published book, which centres on the nigeriabiafra civil war and achebe s personal experiences of and participation in it. A personal history of biafra 2012, is his personal account of the nigerian civil war 19671970, also known as the biafran war. From the legendary author of things fall aparta longawaited memoir of coming of age in a fragile new nation, and its d. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Used by permission of anchor books, a division of random house, inc. In the book achebe, a few weeks before his 82nd birthday, finally sets out to tell the story of his biafra. His first novel, things falls apart, became a classic of international literature and required reading for students worldwide. Read there was a country a memoir by chinua achebe available from rakuten kobo. 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.
Nigeria s foremost novelist, chinua achebe died on march 21, 20, roughly a year after the release of his last book there was a country. Of his novels, arrow of god won the new statesmanjock campbell award, and anthills of the savannah was a finalist for the 1987 booker prize. His memoir of the moment describes when the country, yoked together artificially by british colonizers, split apart at a cost of more than a million lives. Achebe then said, on the same page 7 that the nigerian forces opened fire and murdered fourteen nurses and the patients in the wards in uyo. A personal history of biafra by achebe, chinua isbn. There was a country is the autobiography of one of africas most renowned writers, chinua achebe, and also the history of lost possibilities, his short lived country the break away republic of biafra. There was a country by chinua achebe, 9780241959206, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. This is the case with chinua achebes there was a country. Always drawn to storytelling, chinua eventually found himself and rejected a full scholarship to medical school once he succumbed to the allure of the arts, especially writing. It has the tense narrative grip of the best fiction.
There was a country by chinua achebe i vaguely heard about biafra growing up and this book did a good job creating a mental picture of biafra. For chinua achebe, author of the seminal work things fall apart, the nigerian civil war was one in which he had no choice but to involve himself. 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 19671970. Some people flinch when you talk about art in the context of the needs of society thinking you are introducing something far too common for a. Chinua achebes lament for his native biafra and the decline of nigeria is powerful and moving, writes justin cartwright.
There are interesting insights into the wars two central players. There was a country by chinua achebe is a memoir of chinua s early life in the eastern region of nigeria where his people, the igbo, were the dominant ethnic group. There was a country by chinua achebe home facebook. There was a country a personal history of biafra by chinua achebe the penguin press.
Acclaimed writer chinua achebe, whose full name was albert chinualumogu achebe, was born in 1930 in ogidi, nigeria and died in 20 in boston, massachusetts. He attended the university of ibadan where he studied english. Reply to chinua achebe s there was a country chief dr chinua achebe wrote a book titled hr was a cor hich had spard a o of discussion on the pages of many of our national newspapers of the resent. The pity of it was that achebe had touched on the raw parts of the yoruba people of this country and many had commented promptly and appropriately. In the middle chapters, memoir gives way to largely neutral historical analysis, with achebe citing a range of voices, media reports and books. There was a country is in fact a lament for biafra and the decline of nigeria, which he relates directly to the biafran war. Nigerian books books by chinua achebe 2012 nonfiction books. A personal history of biafra emerges into this landscape of memory and remembrance, forty two years after the war ended. Like much of achebes other work, this book about the progress of war and the presence of. Foreign policy must read 2012 by books from global thinkers. Achebes books of essays include morning yet on creation day 1975, hopes and impediments 1988, home and exile 2000, the education of a britishprotected child 2009, and the autobiographical there was a country. Part of me hopes that this account is biased and inaccurate, because i dont want the events to be true, i want the igbo tribe and biafra people to have provoked the horrible way they were treated so i can feel less sickened by what i. A personal history of biafra is a personal account of the nigerian civil war 19671970, also known as the biafran war by the nigerian writer chinua achebe.