Max Siollun is a historian. He has written four acclaimed books on Nigeria's history, most recently What Britain Did to Nigeria: A Short History of Conquest and Rule, which was shortlisted in BBC History Magazine's 2021 Books of the Year. He has written for many publications including the New York Times, Guardian, the Independent and Foreign Policy.

Anyone who wants to understand the world, needs to understand Nigeria, a country with the largest Black population in the world. And there is no more eloquent and informed guide than Max Siollun. This is a totally essential book that you'll want to annotate, re-read and gift many times' - Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireland: How Modern Britain is Shaped by its Imperial Past

Max Siollun accomplishes what few dare to attempt--a revival of a time when the region now known as Nigeria was alive with vibrant kingdoms, city-states, and complex social dynamics long before European colonisers imposed their narratives. Blending the rigour of a scholar with the captivating depth of a griot, he brings history to life with a cinematic sweep and intellectual confidence. Prepare to be transported, challenged, and, ultimately, changed' - Gimba Kakanda, writer, researcher, and Co-Lead at the Presidential Initiative for Innovation, Policy Evaluation, and Research (PIIPER), Nigeria

'Max Siollun is the most committed contemporary chronicler of Nigerian history. It's impossible to pick up a Siollun book and not emerge a different person, purged of popular historical falsehoods, and brimming with riveting insight into how Nigeria has come to be what it is today' - - Tolu Ogunlesi, journalist, photographer and writer

This is the indispensable book for anyone interested in the pre-colonial history of what now constitutes Nigeria. Incredibly necessary, magnificently done, Siollun charts the characters and events that shaped the political, social, cultural and economic lives of those who inhabited Nigeria's territories centuries before colonization. The Forgotten Era is as important to understanding the past as it is to comprehending the present and planning the future' - Remi Adekoya, author of It's Not About Whiteness, It's About Wealth

Without a doubt, Max Siollun is the best Nigeria-focused historian of our times. Like his other outstanding books, The Forgotten Era is an engaging and accessible deep-dive into the storied past of an ever-dynamic country that, by 2045, will be the third most populous in the world. An unforgettable read, Max's latest book skilfully demystifies Nigeria's pre-colonial past in way that can help us make sense of both its knotty modern-day challenges and its disconcertingly uncertain future' - Matthew T. Page, former U.S. State Department Nigeria expert and Associate Fellow, Chatham House

Publisher: Pluto Press (UK)

Pub date: 2026-07-20

Length: 336 pages