THE TESTIMONY THAT STILL SHAKES A NATION**
Some books whisper. This one thunders.
When Awo on the Nigerian Civil War first appeared, it didn’t just enter the national conversation — it split it open. Supporters hailed it as the clearest moral compass the conflict ever had. Critics called it a carefully crafted defense, a man fighting to secure his legacy. And even today, decades later, the arguments haven’t cooled.
Because this is not a book you read. It is a book you confront.
It drags you back into the smoky rooms where decisions were made behind half-shut doors. It forces you to stand beside a man whose name has become both a banner and a blade. And it asks a question Nigeria still hasn’t finished answering: What does it really cost to save a nation?
This is the story of Chief Obafemi Awolowo — nationalist, economist, strategist, prisoner of conscience, and later, federal commissioner — as he attempts to steady a country slipping into chaos. But the book doesn’t begin with glory. It begins with tension.
Awolowo walks into history at its most fragile moment. The federation is at war with itself. Brothers are facing brothers. Leaders are taking stances that will be remembered — or condemned — for generations. And in the middle of the firestorm is Awo, determined to hold on to the ideal that Nigeria must survive, not as a patchwork of tribes, but as a republic united by justice.
The book is not a dry report.
It is raw.
It is intimate.
It is written with the urgency of a man who knows his every word will be scrutinized, debated, and revisited long after he is gone.
Through first-hand reflections, policy explanations, behind-the-scenes conversations, and emotional recollections, he reveals how decisions were forged: the debates around food blockades, the moral weight of war-time strategy, the burden of leadership during national trauma, and the hope for a post-war Nigeria built on fairness and opportunity.
Each chapter feels like a spotlight on the nation’s conscience. You see a man wrestling with history — and history wrestling back. You encounter the ideals that shaped his choices, the pressures that bent them, and the unwavering belief that the Nigerian project was worth every sacrifice.
More than a historical account, the book works like a cinematic sequence of scenes cutting between battleground, cabinet room, and the private heart of a statesman who loved a nation that didn’t always love him back. It shows you a leader trying to stitch a country together before it tears itself apart.
By the final pages, you may not agree with everything he says — but you will understand why this book remains one of the most explosive political documents ever written.
Why This Book Matters Now
Nigeria is once again facing questions about unity, identity, leadership, and truth. Social media rewrites history in 30-second clips. Half-truths travel farther than facts. Narratives fight for dominance the way armies once did. Every tribe and region now has its own “version” of the past.
In moments like this, a voice like Awo’s becomes sharply relevant.
Because this book doesn’t give you comfort.
It gives you clarity.
It forces today’s generations to confront what leadership looks like when the stakes are life and death. It reminds Nigerians that policy decisions are not just lines in a file — they ripple through families, cities, and future decades. The book also offers a template for political courage in an age when many leaders prefer convenience over conviction.
And perhaps most importantly, it warns us that the fractures of yesterday never fully disappear — they simply wait for silence, ignorance, or manipulation to reopen them.
Reading Awo on the Nigerian Civil War today is like turning on a bright light in a dark room: nothing can hide.
About the Author:
Chief Obafemi Awolowo stands as one of the most influential figures in Nigeria’s political history — a lawyer, philosopher, economic visionary, former Premier of the Western Region, and later a central figure in the federal government during the war. His writings have shaped the political education of multiple generations.
What Reviewers Have Said:
- “A rare combination of honesty and strategic intellect.”
- “A book that forces you to rethink the war, the peace, and the politics in between.”
- “Still one of the most debated Nigerian political memoirs ever published.”
Historic Impact:
The book has triggered panel discussions, academic debates, and political commentary for decades. It remains essential reading for historians, students of public policy, political leaders, and Nigerians trying to understand the nation’s long struggle for unity and justice.
Why You Should Read — and Buy — It Now
If you want a book that challenges your assumptions…
If you want to understand the decisions that shaped modern Nigeria…
If you want to witness the mind of Awolowo at its most unfiltered and uncompromising…
Then this is a book you cannot afford to miss.
Order now from Sunshine Bookseller and get fast, reliable delivery anywhere in Nigeria — and the assurance of an authentic copy from a trusted bookseller.
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