According to a statement sent to VerAngola, the book "História de Angola: da Pré-História ao início do Séc. XXI" aims to "enrich the bibliographic collection" of the Ministry, as well as "facilitate access to the country's historical knowledge for a wider audience".
The act of offering the 690 copies was witnessed by José Teixeira, Chairman of the Board of Directors (PCA) of dstgroup, and by Maria da Piedade de Jesus, Secretary of State for Culture.
On that occasion, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of dstgroup considered that "Angola's history is very rich and there was a lot of Angola before the Portuguese arrived there".
"We are interested in history. We are interested in the past, the past does not pass away. Education, especially in the first cycles, must include history. The history of Angola is very rich and there was a lot of Angola before the Portuguese arrived there. With this edition, we are helping to ensure that the History of Angola reaches Angolan schools because this History of Angola shows the complete Angola", explained José Teixeira.
"This donation is of great importance in the context of the cultural roots of both countries [Angola and Portugal]", the statement states, which says that for the Ministry of Culture, these more than 600 books "are a significant step towards promoting education and culture in the country".
"On behalf of the Ministry of Culture of Angola, it is an honor to be here to receive these books that truly contain content that is of interest to all generations, from schools, universities and anyone who wants to enter our libraries and find this book and learn more about the history of Angola. In the case of the dst, which in its social responsibility comes to deliver this manual to us, which for us has a very important role in terms of recognizing our identity, our many thanks because it is not every day that we receive more than 600 books like this," said Maria da Piedade de Jesus.
The book is made up of 832 pages and "traces the journey of Angola, from pre-history to the beginning of the 21st century, based on the writings of one of the most important Angolan historians, Alberto Oliveira Pinto, re-editing the out-of-print work História de Angola, in a revised and updated version", says the statement, which adds that it was achieved, "for the first time, a simultaneous edition in Portugal and Angola, which is an ambitious editorial project".
At the time of the book's launch, which took place in November 2024, on the dstgroup campus, as part of the Utopia Literary Festival, Alberto Oliveira Pinto expressed his pleasure with the publication: "I am happy to see my History of Angola published by Guerra & Paz Editores with the support of dstgroup. Thanks to this support, for the first time, my book has been widely disseminated, particularly in Angola, which was essential."
"Few things touch Portuguese readers as emotionally as the History of Angola. Seeing this book by Alberto Oliveira Pinto reborn in an updated edition is an honour for me as an editor. Knowing that almost half of the edition will be in the hands of Angolan readers awakens the fondest memories of those who, like me, lived 18 intense years in Luanda and Lobito. Given its costs and ambition, a project of this nature was only possible because we found a partner who loves books, reading and thought. Thank you to dstgroup, our patron and co-editor", said editor Manuel Fonseca.
"As the exclusive patron of this book, dstgroup received 325 copies of the work's print run for Portugal, of which 225 were donated to the National Network of Portuguese Public Libraries, and 690 copies of the work's print run in Angola, which were donated in full to the Ministry of Culture," the note further clarifies.
