The Yorùbá have a rich and vibrant history. As a descendant of the great Yorùbá nation, I wanted to learn all I can about the history of my people.
I did a lot of searching online and through forums to find books about the history of the Yorùbá. What I found was a LOT of books about Yorùbá religion and Orishas from a diaspora perspective… mainly Cuba and Brazil.
What I wanted to learn was the history of the Yorùbá as a people. From where did we come? Where are we today? To where will be go? My quest ended with the discovery of the 5 very best books on Yorùbá history available today.
A History of the Yorùbá by Stephen Adebanji Akintoye
The Yorùbá from Prehistory to the Present by Aribidesu Usman and Dr. Toyin Falola
The Yorùbá: A New History by Akinwumi Ogundiran
History of Yorùbá Land by Gbade Aladeojebi
Encyclopedia of the Yoruba by Dr. Toyin Falola
The Yorùbá people have a rich history that deserves to be celebrated. Yorùbáland actually stretches across south-west Nigeria through Benin and Togo. There are perhaps 40-50 million Yorùbá people in Yorùbáland plus the millions more in the Americas due to immigration and the Atlantic Slave Trade. The Yorùbá nation is large, proud, and spread across the world. We have a very rich history deep in culture and tradition.
I finally bought myself a dedicated e-book reader. The last time I was considering such a device was in 2013. At that time, I decided to buy a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 tablet running the Android operating system. I figured it was a better choice due to a) colour display, b) ability to use multiple book store applications, and c) one less device to purchase.
The main reason why I opted for a tablet over a dedicated e-book reader was that I have accounts at 3 different e-book stores – Google Play, Kobo, and Amazon Kindle. An Amazon Kindle would limit me to only reading books purchased from Amazon. I would still have to access my other books from different devices.
My trusty Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 tablet recently stopped holding a full charge. It was time to buy a new one. This time I had second thoughts about buying another tablet. My Acer Chromebook Spin 311 serves dual function – laptop and tablet. Unfortunately, as a tablet, it is quite bulky to use for reading books… especially on the go.
I noticed that despite all the reading I do, I simply was not getting enough done due to reading on tablets, laptops, and smartphones. There is only so long one can read via those glossy screens.
I have always been an avid reader. I proudly claim to be addicted to reading. I am so addicted to reading that in cases where I am meeting a friend, and I am first to arrive, I just read until they arrive. I don’t get stressed if they are late because I was too busy reading. Reading has bought me patience in addition to knowledge.
Amazon’s Kindle e-book readers are apparently much better on your eyes since they use an e-ink display instead of the standard backlit LCD or OLED displays that are found in smartphones and tablets.
Anytime I speak with someone and the topic of e-books comes up, I hear praise from those who own Kindles. They tell me it’s so much easier on their eyes and great for reading in direct sunlight or before bed, validating what I had been hearing from several sources.
This year has been a different one for me. As mentioned earlier, I am an avid reader… addicted to be honest. This past April, I found myself buying books at a faster pace than ever before. This was a result of my genealogical research which generated more questions after each answer. I purchased 11 books during a 6-week period. Most of these books are fairly lengthy history texts.
I noticed that despite trying to read so many books, I was not getting enough done. I finally realized that I was not reading for extended periods of time like I would like to. Staring at the smartphone screen is good for short reads, not lengthy lost-in-a-book sessions.
The time was right for me to purchase an e-book reader. I did some research to find out how to transfer my books purchased from other stores to a Kindle. I am against piracy of all kinds and would never encourage anybody to access media from illegal sources. I learned how to transfer my legally-purchased books, but this is not a topic for this article.
I signed into my Amazon Prime account and started looking at the Kindles. I liked the size of the smallest one which turns out to be an older model. The more current model is a little bigger but better-featured. I chose the eleventh Generation Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (fifth iteration) and could not be happier. Due to the fantastic Prime shipping, my Kindle arrived at my home less than 24 hours after placing an order.
The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 5th iteration was announced on September 21, 2021 and released for sale October 27, 2021. It is the most-recent Kindle Paperwhite and the successor to the 2018 model.
This version of the Kindle Paperwhite has thinner bezels, a larger 6.8-inch display, and 17 LEDs that can adjust the colour temperature of the display in comparison to its predecessor.
The Kindle Paperwhite also has a USB-C charging/data port (the first Kindle to sport this) and is waterproof. The screen is 16-level greyscale with a resolution of 1236 x 1648, pixel per inch (PPI) density of 300, and 17 front-lit LEDs.
You may connect the Kindle Paperwhite via WiFi or USB-C. It is powered by a 1 GB Mediatek MT8110 processor and a 1,700 mAh battery. Amazon claims that the battery can last up to 10 weeks on a single charge when reading 30 minutes per day.
It’s only been a few days since I received my Kindle but I can’t leave home without it. I read much more than before. It’s very easy on the eyes and simply feeds into my reading addiction.
When I decided to order a Kindle, I went online to find tips and tricks. I quickly discovered the best YouTube channel about reading and Kindles is by Maneetpaul Singh. This channel has all sorts of tips, reviews, and advice on how to get the best use of your Kindle device. Maneetpaul Singh is also a published author of a book called Supercharge Your Reading and hosts a blog at SuperchargeYourReading.com. He is quite an inspirational fellow who has inspired me to keep writing as well as reading.
You simply cannot go wrong with an Amazon Kindle. I find that I am reading a LOT more than before since buying a Kindle Paperwhite 5 from Amazon. Reading books is even more joyful than before. I cannot put mine down.
I hear people “arguing” about printed books vs digital. I have a large collection of printed books in my condo and storage. I love the feel of a “real” book but have grown accustomed to digital. The number once reason why I love digital books is portability.
It is extremely convenient to have books that you are currently reading available at the tap of your fingers. I can carry hundreds of books at a time. As a matter of fact, the Kindle Paperwhite 5 comes with 8GB of storage which is good for several thousand books. Like it or not, e-books are here to stay.
This African historian is a professor of African Studies. He has written over 100 books and is one of the preeminent researchers of Yoruba history and culture.
Dr. Toyin Falola was born in Ibadan, Nigeria on January 1, 1953. Located in Oyo State, south-west Nigeria, Ibadan is the 3rd most populated city in the country.
By 1970, Dr. Toyin Falola became a school teacher in the nearby town of Pahayi. He started his career as a lecturer in 1981 at the University of Ife. The university was renamed Obafemi Awolowo University in 1987 in honour of the first premier of the Western Region of Nigeria.
In 1991, Dr. Toyin Falola joined the faculty at University of Texas at Austin in the United States of America. He is currently the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the university. He has also worked at several other universities such as York University in Toronto, Canada, the University of Cambridge in England, United Kingdom, and others in the United States, Australia, and Nigeria.
An avid researcher, Dr, Toyin Falola earned his Doctor of Letters (D.litt) in humanities from the University of Ibadan on December 31, 2020. He has earned 8 honours and awards around the world including the Cheikh Anta Diop and Lincoln awards in addition to honorary degrees of doctors from 13 universities. He is also the General editor of the Cambria Africa Studies series at Cambria Press.
I recently purchased several books written by Dr. Toyin Falola. One of the greatest books on Yoruba history and culture is called The Yoruba from Prehistory to Present. I highly recommend this book to anybody who seeks to learn about our history.
I currently own the following books written by this great African historian:
The Yoruba from Prehistory to the Present
Understanding Modern Nigeria
The Yoruba Diaspora in the Atlantic World
Igbo in the Atlantic World: African Origins and Diasporic Destinations
Encyclopedia of the Yoruba
A History of Nigeria
These books may be purchased from Amazon Kindle or Google Play Books.
This only marks the beginning of my journey to acquire knowledge of African history. I plan to purchase many more books written by Dr. Toyin Falola. Some of his lectures and interviews are also available online.
