PDF Njinga of Angola: Africa’s Warrior Queen by Linda M. Heywood in History

Review

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful. An Exhilirating Journey into the Life ofa Little Known African HeroineBy John K ThorntonQueen Njinga’s story belongs in everyone’s list of important people in world history. She managed to secure a leadership role in a country that did not welcome females in positions of authority; waged a heroic struggle to save her country from Portuguese invaders; conducted international diplomacy in Africa and in Europe; challenged the religious world in which she lived; as both a Catholic and a follower of traditional religion. She is certainly well known in Angola; and in Brazil; where she survives as a character in folklore; but few know her story outside those two countries..Linda Heywood has produced; at last; a biography of Njinga which can elevate her to that place. It is based on an amazingly rich and diverse set of original sources; that include not only reports by Portuguese and Italian priests and missionaries; soldiers or governors; but even on a parcel of letters that Njinga herself wrote. It is not because of a lack of first hand eyewitness accounts of her life that we do not know about her; but rather because Africa and African leaders have gotten short shift in world history.This is a compelling story; well-told with dozens of fascinating anecdotes and first-hand accounts of her derring-do. Heywood shows her climbing down cliffs on a flimsy rope ladder to escape the Portuguese who are pursuing her; of her remarkable gender role reversals; in having her male concubines dress as women and sleep chastely among her serving maids; or writing a letter of recommendation for a Portuguese ambassador who negotiated a peace treaty with her.We couldn’t have a better introduction to her life and times than Heywood’s breathtaking story; that even committed readers of fiction would enjoy.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Heywood's book showcases Njinga's greatness with elegance and incredible depthBy José Carlos CostaQueen Njinga is an Angolan hero; seen widely as the symbol of resistance to foreign domination and idolized in present day Angola; other African nations and among African diaspora in the Americas. However; despite her influence and standing in 17th century Central Africa there are not many in depth works on her long and eventful life and Linda Heywood’s well researched and written “Njinga of Angola” is easily the best book on Njinga I’ve ever read. Her story is full of roses and blood but truly remarkable and reading this book one can learn that Queen Njinga knew; like no other leader; how to navigate and adapt to the political changes and idiosyncrasies of the time. Queen Njinga was smart and oddly can be described as flexible and implacable. However; her legacy; tenacity; stubbornness and political acumen justify the scores of admires across the globe.I highly recommend the book to those who are seeking to understand how the Atlantic World worked; how African rulers and European explorers interacted and how the slave trade reshaped African polities of the time. It is certainly a contribution to the history of the world in general and the poorly known history of the peoples of Angola.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. One Tough Warrior QueenBy Theresa252630Amazing story about one tough woman. Njinga was a clever; hard working leader who was more Henry V of England than Elizabeth I.I have read a lot of books regarding European royalty; but none of the rulers come as close as Njinga does to being a true warrior queen.I may not have liked how she succeeded; although slavery was a common practice in that era; but I admire her skill and ability to survive during the Portuguese and Dutch conquests.