Nigerian author Chinua Achebe was born in Nigeria in November 1930. He attended the University of Ibadan and published his first novel “Things Fall Apart” in 1958.
“There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra” is a memoir of Achebe’s experiences growing up in Nigeria, and specifically, his thoughts and commentaries the Nigeria-Biafra War. The book is split into four parts, beginning with the story of his family, then moving onto the subjects of war and peace, and finally concluding with the difficulties associated with a postwar society. In describing the context in which the book was written, The Guardian writes that “no writer is better placed than Chinua Achebe to tell the story of the Nigerian Biafran war from a cultural and political perspective.”
See Also:
World Literature Today. “There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra by Chinua Achebe“ from “Taking Pictures and Telling Stories” in March 2013 Book Reviews. March 2013.
Adam Nossiter. “Remembering Biafra: There Was a Country by Chinua Achebe.” The New York Times. Published November 4, 2012.
Noo Saro-Wira. “There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra by Chinua Achebe – Reviewed.” The Guardian. Published October 5, 2012.