Black and British by David Olusoga - 2 Books Collection Set - Ages 7-12 - Mixed Format

Titles in This Set
Black and British: An Illustrated History for Young Readers
Black and British: A Short, Essential History

Details
Condition: Brand New
Format: Mixed Format (1 Hardback, 1 Paperback)
ISBN: 9781529052954 (Illustrated History, Hardback); 9781529063394 (Short, Essential History, Paperback)
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Age Range: Ages 7-12 (Grades 2-7)

Overview
This two-book collection brings award-winning historian David Olusoga's acclaimed Black British history to young readers in two distinct formats. The hardback Illustrated History uses maps, timelines, and full-color portrait galleries to introduce 1800 years of Black British history, while the paperback Short, Essential History offers a more text-led introduction for slightly older readers ready for deeper detail. Together they make a thoughtful, brand-new addition to any home bookshelf, school library, or classroom reading corner, ideal for curious kids and families exploring long-overlooked chapters of British history and the people who shaped it.

About the Books
David Olusoga has spent his career uncovering the long, often overlooked presence of Black people in Britain, and this set distills that research for younger audiences in two complementary ways. Black and British: An Illustrated History for Young Readers is a lavishly illustrated hardback that charts the story from Roman Africans stationed at Hadrian's Wall through Tudor court musicians, abolitionists, First World War soldiers, and the Windrush generation, using full-color maps, timelines, and portrait galleries to make the material vivid and approachable for readers around ages 7-11. Black and British: A Short, Essential History is a text-focused paperback that distills the same sweeping timeline into a compact, essential introduction, answering questions like when Africans first arrived in Britain and why the American Civil War disrupted the Industrial Revolution; this title won Children's Illustrated and Non-Fiction at the British Book Awards 2021, aimed at slightly older readers who are ready for a more in-depth narrative. Both books trace the same core story, the presence and contributions of Black people in Britain from antiquity to the present, but their different formats and reading levels mean they work well read independently or alongside each other, giving families and classrooms flexibility depending on a child's age and reading confidence. Together, this set offers a well-rounded, thoughtfully researched introduction to a vital, often under-taught part of British history, written by one of the subject's most respected contemporary voices.

Key Benefits

• Brand-new two-book set covering 1800 years of Black British history for young readers
• Written by David Olusoga, an award-winning historian and broadcaster
• A Short, Essential History won Children's Illustrated and Non-Fiction at the British Book Awards 2021
• Illustrated hardback volume features full-color maps, timelines, and portrait galleries
• Accessible paperback volume offers a concise, text-led introduction for older readers
• Ideal for classroom libraries, homeschool history units, and family read-alouds
• Makes a meaningful gift for birthdays, holidays, or back-to-school reading lists

Book-by-Book Guide
Black and British: An Illustrated History for Young Readers — A full-color hardback charting 1800 years of Black British history through maps, timelines, and portrait galleries.
Black and British: A Short, Essential History — A compact paperback introduction answering key questions about Black British history from Roman times to today.

About the Author
David Olusoga is a British historian, author, and broadcaster known for presenting documentaries on British history and for his research into Britain's long and often overlooked Black history. His adult book Black and British: A Forgotten History won wide acclaim, and he has since adapted its central ideas for younger readers across both titles in this collection. Olusoga's work combines archival research, genealogy, and storytelling to bring forgotten figures and events to light, making him one of the most respected voices writing Black British history for both adult and younger audiences today.

Why You'll Love This Set
This brand-new set pairs a visually stunning illustrated hardback with a focused, text-led paperback, giving young readers two complementary ways into the same essential history. A smart pick for a classroom library, homeschool history unit, holiday stocking stuffer, or thoughtful birthday gift that sparks real conversation about Britain's past and the people often left out of it.

Please Note: This is the UK edition with the ISBN as listed; the cover may vary slightly from the image shown.