In the African republic of Niger, an estimated 870,000 people are born into slavery. Despite being technically illegal, slavery is so engrained in Niger's national psyche that a government spokesman downplayed it as a "cultural tradition." This film explores the state of slavery in Niger and the social and economic factors that keep the practice alive. In the world's second poorest country finding a job is unthinkable for many, especially when their...

"From the author of 1491--the best-selling study of the pre-Columbian Americas--a deeply engaging new history that explores the most momentous biological event since the death of the dinosaurs. More than 200 million years ago, geological forces split apart the continents. Isolated from each other, the two halves of the world developed totally different suites of plants and animals. Columbus's voyages brought them back together--and marked the beginning...

"A riveting adventure of how America was invented. 'America the story of us' focuses on the people, ideas and events that built our nation, covering 400 years of America history in the most extensive and in-depth television series ever produced by History. Sharing their thoughts on the building of America, and what it means to be an American, are a world-class group of individuals including Tom Brokaw, Michael Douglas, Meryl Streep, Buzz Aldrin, Colin...

"Joining the ranks of Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Zora Neale Hurston's rediscovered classic Barracoon, an immersive and revelatory history of the Clotilda, the last slave ship to land on US soil, told through the stories of its survivors-the last documented survivors of any slave ship-whose lives diverged and intersected in profound ways"-- Provided by publisher.

"Revealing the central yet intentionally obliterated role of Africa in the creation of modernity, Born in Blackness vitally reframes our understanding of world history. In a sweeping narrative that traverses 600 years, one that eloquently weaves precise historical detail with poignant personal reportage, Pulitzer Prize finalist Howard W. French retells the story of medieval and emerging Africa, demonstrating how the economic ascendancy of Europe,...