Musical Truth: A Musical History of Modern Black Britain in 28 Songs

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There are also illustrations from Ngadi Smart that add a visual dimension to this original book for music and cultural inquisitive teens. The book offers a concise overview of the history of black music and black culture in Britain, from the arrival of the Empire Windrush to present day. David Olusoga’s latest edition of Black and British has been revised and rewritten especially for secondary school children, and explains and illustrates the much-overlooked history of Black peoples in Britain and beyond. Like many 'early' readers of this book, I was aware of much of its content already; separately, not just from the many and varied sources quoted in it - but Mark Devlin has brought so many pieces of a puzzling jigsaw together in an immensely comprehensive and articulate way. Home to William Golding, Sylvia Plath, Kazuo Ishiguro, Sally Rooney, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Max Porter, Ingrid Persaud, Anna Burns and Rachel Cusk, among many others, Faber is proud to publish some of the greatest novelists from the early twentieth century to today.

In ‘Musical Truth’ the subject is Black British history, but for a pupil, their chosen thesis to explore using that same format might be gender, place, religion, deprivation, isolation, alienation, or sexuality. The use of songs to mark the chronology adds to the power of the narrative, with the story of each artist told alongside the over-arching themes. Although this book is aimed at secondary aged children, teachers will want to check school policies. From Kitch's Windrush optimism to Jords' visceral defiance via John Barnes' rap, this clever and accessible book connects the dots of UK Black history through music.It is important that we recognise our history, seek reconciliation and understanding, that we might move forward positively, compassionately and with equal opportunity. Nothing helps us to understand what happened to the teenager, nor to any of the many, many other victims of racist violence and abuse.

A comprehensive introduction to Velazquez’s life and art which includes a discussion of all his major works. Publication dates are subject to change (although this is an extremely uncommon occurrence overall).

There was just the right amount of choice to suit everyone without being overwhelming and I received comments from parents and staff about the quality of books offered compared to previous sales which have always been based around current crazes and well known celebrity authors. For example, pupils might discuss the music that reflects their social history and circumstances with classmates, older siblings, or vertical tutor groups. The book, when accompanied with the Spotify playlist is a snippet in time, with the text providing the context and history of the period in which each track was released.