Shaka Rising

Presents a compelling African "hero"--Shaka, king of the Zulus--in an edgy, cool, interesting way. Turns the story of Shaka up on its head. Previously, Shaka has been presented by historians via the lens of white colonial officials, who interpreted him as a vicious, blood-thirsty and savage king. In light of new sources and new understandings of the bias of old sources, we are re-presenting him in a truer historic light--as a shrewd and sometimes violent diplomat who sought to protect his people from the expanding slave trade. Deals with forces of globalization, colonialism, and the slave trade in a fresh and exciting way. Materials on African history and geography--specifically ones that place Africa's history in the context of its links to the rest of the world--are rare and often poorly produced. This book, and the series in general, aims to change that and provide teenagers, parents, educators, and others a way "in." The sequel, which concludes the tale of Shaka and his explosive effect on all of southern Africa, is forthcoming in Fall 2018. We are including a teaser excerpt of the sequel in Shaka Rising. First of the African Graphic Novel Series.