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Elephant Memories History Podcast

Max Siollun 10 Episodes Jul 1, 2026

Historian and author Max Siollun presents a monthly African history podcast featuring dramatic reconstructions of explosive historical events and interviews with eyewitnesses and experts. The podcast covers revolutionaries, intellectuals, and assassins, emphasizing that African history is compelling and box office. It aims to fill the need for an African history podcast that never forgets to remember.

Episodes

Nigeria Under General Sani Abacha: The Military v the People Jul 1, 2026 2207 What role did Nigeria's current President Bola Ahmed Tinubu play in the 1990s pro-democracy campaign? What was it like living under the military government of General Sani Abacha? This episode is a continuation from Episode 6 ("Untold Stories of the June 12 Election Annulment in Nigeria") and covers the terrifying 1993-1998 military rule era when a mysterious wave of assassinations, bomb blasts, a

Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup in America: How the Super Eagles Shocked the World Jun 15, 2026 3191 How Nigeria amazed the footballing world with its breathtaking attacking and flair at the 1994 World Cup in America. Was this the best African team to ever play at the World Cup?

Untold Stories of the June 12 Election Annulment in Nigeria Jun 1, 2026 2560 The Babangida military government’s annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election plunged Nigeria into its worst political crisis since its civil war over 20 years earlier. Why was the election annulled? The annulment also buried the role of many courageous pro-democracy activists who campaigned for an end to military rule (despite being targeted with a terrifying wave of assassinations, bo

Expat Adventures in Nigeria: Corporate Warfare (Part 1) May 8, 2026 2438 What is it like being an expat in Nigeria? British businessman and former CEO of Guinness Nigeria Keith Richards lived and worked in Nigeria for over 20 years. During that time he had movie style adventures such as encountering the niece of a powerful politician who wanted to kill him, a workplace where an employee tried to murder a rival executive by poisoning him, negotiating with armed vigilant

Umaru Dikko Kidnapped in London: Secret Agents, a Diamond Dealer, and a Politician May 1, 2026 628 When military intelligence agents from Nigeria and Israel abducted Nigeria’s former Minister of Transport Umaru Dikko in broad daylight on a London street in 1984, it triggered a spectacular three-country international scandal that involved secret agents, anti-terrorist police, fake passports, a diamond dealer, planes being impounded, a dramatic airport rescue, and the worst ever diplomatic crisis

The Hidden Causes of the Nigeria-Biafra Civil War Apr 1, 2026 2875 Nearly 60 years after Nigeria’s civil war started, the war’s legacy still holds Nigeria hostage. The memory of the war between Nigeria and its breakaway south-eastern region which called itself Biafra, is simultaneously a cause for national disunity and national unity. Yet there is no agreement on what caused the war. Although the war started in 1967, most are not aware that the long road to war s

Yoruba History: The Rise and Fall of the Oyo Empire Apr 1, 2026 5255 The Oyo Empire was the most famous and powerful of the Yoruba kingdoms in West Africa. The Oyo Empire’s history is box office! It had regicide, revolutions, intrigue, ancestral curses, a scheming court official that engineered the death of four kings he worked for, and back stabbing that Game of Thrones would be proud of! Aside from its high stakes, cut throat drama, Oyo also had one of the most s

The Benin Bronzes, the British Museum, and the Benin Massacre Apr 1, 2026 3258 The Benin Kingdom (in modern-day Nigeria) was one of West Africa’s most sophisticated and powerful states. Its government had inter-continental diplomatic relations with European countries, a powerful military, and a brilliant guild of artists who made the "Benin Bronze" sculptures that were so technically brilliant that an astonished curator at the British Museum said: "there is absolutely nothin

Third Podcast Trailer: A 4 minute crash course on the causes of the Nigerian civil war Mar 7, 2026 248 This is the third trailer for my upcoming "Elephant Memories History Podcast". This trailer tries to do something impossible (!): summarise the long term causes of the Nigerian civil war in only 4 minutes. Listen, enjoy, and to subscribe to the podcast here, or on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts – and the other usual podcast outlets.

Second Trailer for the Elephant Memories History Podcast Mar 2, 2026 61 This is the second preview of what to expect from my upcoming African history podcast: dramatic reconstructions of historical events, and interviews with eyewitnesses and experts.

First trailer for a new African history podcast Jan 24, 2026 60 A preview of the Elephant Memories History Podcast: a new African history podcast - coming soon.

Elephant Memories History Podcast

Episodes

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