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  • Ep. 1: Bones Do Not Lie

  • By: Bonnie Greer
  • Length: 40 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (82 ratings)

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Ep. 1: Bones Do Not Lie

By: Bonnie Greer
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Summary

We go back 300,000 years to meet our earliest human ancestors, and talk to the archaeologists uncovering the untold stories of modern human origins. Bonnie looks at the changing face of one of the earliest Europeans, and at how he is also changing our understanding of race.

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What listeners say about Ep. 1: Bones Do Not Lie

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Very interesting

Highly educational look into some of the more obscure - because of racism - black people throughout history, highly recommended and excellently delivered

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Phenomenal & So enlightening! Thank you Bonnie

Such an insightful podcast on the histories of those of us who make Black Britain as a collective. From the African perspective and those of the Caribbean roots too.

I now have a stronger appreciation for the British Museum.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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History is written by the victorious

This is a deeply personal retelling of one woman’s search for identity through the ages. It is challenging and touching, and infuriating—especially tackling the Enlightenment period, which seems fitting given the era’s many contradictions. But above all, this story—her story, is necessary.

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Amazing series

This series is amazing, telling the story of the black history we haven’t been taught from earliest times, through Black Tudor times and onwards. Interviews with academics and museum curators and others in the UK, US and Africa. So much interesting history and so much I didn’t know. Wow!

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    3 out of 5 stars

Decent audiobook, elevated by the subject matter

This review covers all parts of the series.

Overall, it's a decently made series, but the production side of things leaves a bit to be desired. The narration seems a bit meandering and aimless at times, and the interviews could benefit from a bit of editing, both in terms of content and sound design. There are also numerous parts where we hear people walking down hallways, opening doors, and so on, without much else (if anything) happening. Overall, it comes across more like listening to a low-budget TV documentary at times.

My wife and I used to watch Ancient Aliens for laughs, which (among many other things) is an egregious offender of the trope where the narrator repeats the last thing said by an interviewee, often with a question mark at the end. I bring this up because Bonnie Greer has a tendency to do the same, often with excruciating slowness, lending even more weight to the "cheap TV documentary" feel of it all.

However, the subject matter is highly interesting, and there are some great stories to be found here, which does elevate the enjoyment of the series overall. Exploring the stories and history of black people from outside the perspective of colonialism is unfortunately still a rare thing these days, and I do feel like there could've been more quality content of that sort in this series, but what little there was, was still deeply intriguing and worthwhile.

It's definitely worth a listen, and despite my nagging nit-picks mentioned here, I did enjoy it quite a bit.

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Excellent

Obscure examples used to shine a light on the black experience through history, causing you to unlearn some of what you have been taught. Has reignited interest and forced me to revisit conceptions and misconceptions.

Excellent style, narration, excellent in every way!

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Great listen

Insightful into African history, archaeology was a great place to start. I am able to follow the story.

Great narration. Clear and easy to follow.

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Powerful and thoughtful

This series is powerful thoughtful and compelling. It is fascinating heartbreaking and inspirational. A wonderful series.

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Eye opening

This podcast has unearthed and opened up topics of conversation that should be common place. This should be distributed throughout the schooling systems. Very easy listening for myself as an adult but also my year 7 and year 9 children.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Seemed a bit muddled

Well it WAS free so I suppose I can't complain. And it did have some interesting parts. But it all seemed a bit random, there was no overall storyline, and the narrator sometimes seemed to be arguing both ends against the middle.

Plus I'm afraid her American accent grated on me.

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