The History of the African and Caribbean Communities in Britain; The History of the Asian Community in Britain

There is a pressing need for more books that speak to young people about the experience of the minority communities in Britain and these books will fill a gaping hole on many library shelves. They are very much history books and take the long view which means that the post-war period, which saw the major development of these communities, only takes up four of the forty-five pages of text.

The narrative at times is rather rushed, seeking to explain the economic, social and political factors involved in such huge issues as the growth and break-up of Empire. For me the major interest lay in the many and varied case studies of individual Black and Asian people and their contribution to the development of this country - but then I'm a big fan of empathy in the study of History despite the bad press it often gets.

Well-designed with plenty of original photographs and contemporary drawings, these books are much to be welcomed - but I'd still like to see some books that deal more fully with the history of these communities in the post-war period.