During the past forty years, Africa south of the Sahara has been the most conflict-prone region of the world. Yet in spite of its growing geopolitical importance, both as a resource base and as an eme
At the 1884-1885 Conference of Berlin a cartel of largely European states effectively set the rules for the partition of Africa, an event whose historical and structural importance continues to affect
The wooden dhow, with its characteristic lateen sail, is an appropriate icon for the early trading world of the Indian Ocean. It was based on free trade unhindered by monopolies or superpower dominati
Drawing heavily on Pierre Bourdieu's work on the cultural field; its internal structure, values, and battles; and its relationship to the economic, political, and religious fields, Mehrez (Arabic lite
Africa The Untold Story is a pictorial chronology of the history and development of Africa and its people. Spanning more than 3.6 million years, this book highlights the contributions of Africa to t
Van Onselen (humanities, University of Pretoria) examines a little-known aspect of society in South Africa in the twenty years leading up to the Boer War, the Irish bandits. Ironically, he notes that
Since 1991 Somalia has been defined as a failing state, one that lacks an effective central government. The vacuum of power in Somalia, in turn, enabled Al Qaida and other radical Islamic organization
Red-Spotted Ox is the autobiography of an indigenous Pokot man, Domonguria, as told to Pat Robbins in the early 1970s. Domonguria spent his life near the Kenya-Uganda border in East Africa in a world
"An excellent introduction. It is not just a well-laid-out narrative, it is a thought-provoking reflection on the arguments that swirl around the image of Africa today." Richard Dowden-Director of the Royal African Society and author of Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles"Clear, well written, and provocative. Be prepared to have your prejudices challenged." Ray Bush-Professor of African Studies and Development Politics, University of Leeds"Informed, challenging, and thought provoking." Peter Woodward-Professor of Politics, University of ReadingBeset by war, famine, and corruption, Africa is viewed by many in the West as a helpless charity case. Little seems to change despite decades of massive financial assistance, prompting many to question whether Africa is a lost cause. Although home to diverse and dynamic societies, the continent is often seen as a single entity, and the West treats it as a problem to be `solved'.This unsentimental and hard-hitting account of the continent to
H. A. MacMichael was a member of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan government between 1905 and 1933. This ethnographic work first published in 1922 is the culmination of almost twenty years' ethnological research conducted while H. A MacMichael was stationed in various parts of Sudan. This ethnography provides detailed histories of the origins, movements and degrees of relation between indigenous groups in Sudan based on oral histories gained from interviews with local people and Sudanese genealogical records known as 'nisbas'. These records provide a valuable insight into the construction and fluidity of ethnic identity at a local and regional level and have been widely used as a base for subsequent investigations concerning identity in Sudan.
H. A. MacMichael was a member of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan government between 1905 and 1933. This two-volume work, first published in 1922, is the culmination of almost twenty years' ethnological research conducted while MacMichael was stationed in various parts of Sudan. It provides detailed histories of the origins, movements and degrees of relation between indigenous groups in Sudan, based on oral histories gained from interviews with local people, and on Sudanese genealogical records known as 'nisbas'. These records provide a valuable insight into the construction and fluidity of ethnic identity at a local and regional level, and have been widely used as a basis for subsequent investigations concerning identity in Sudan. Volume 1 discusses pre-Islamic and contemporary indigenous groups. This book contains opinions on ethnicity which were acceptable at the time it was first published.
Representing Africa examines the ways in which British travellers, explorers and artists viewed southern Africa in a period of evolving and expanding British interest in the region. It brings togethe
In 1870 barely one tenth of Africa was under European control. By 1914 only about one tenth ? Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and Liberia ? was not. This book offers a clear and concise account of the ?scramble?
This tangled web of invasions, civil wars, and rebellion is complex. The A to Z of the Zulu Wars unravels and elucidates Zulu history during the 50 years between the initial settler threat to the king
Archaeologists Breen (U. of Ulster) and Rhodes (National Trust for Scotland and Open U., Scotland) began this quest by questioning their own career choices, elite Western scholars blithely doing field
This compelling text sheds light on the important but under studied trans-Saharan slave trade. The author uncovers and surveys this, the least-noticed of the slave trades out of Africa, which from the
