Located on the horn of East Africa, Somalia has been plagued by political unrest and violence for many years now. Local, clan-based political conflicts have been complicated by western interaction as pact of the 'War on Terror', but few comprehend these events that are taking place. Written by the global authority on Somalia, this succinct volume highlights the salient aspects of the history and culture of the Somali people, distilling for the non-specialist in a readily accessible form Ioan Lewis s vast erudition on all things Somali. He also addresses developments in the Somali political region since the collapse of the Republic in 1991, including accounts of the functioning and democratic state of Somaliland, which still awaits international recognition, of the various autonomous regions, such as Puntland, and of the Islamist movement that under the banner of the Islamic Courts Union brought a brief but astonishing period of stability to much of Southern Somalia in late 2006. There are also chapters on the urban culture of Benadiri Somalis that illustrate the complexity of what constitutes 'Somaliness'. In early 2007 America and its regional ally, Ethiopia, intervened militarily to install a regime in Mogadishu more to their liking than the allegedly Al Qaeda-influenced Islamic Courts government. This book provides the essential historical and political background to a little-understood culture and people whose predicament continues to hold the world s attention.
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This book is a 'primer' on Somali culture and recent history. It is a dense book that reads easily. It should be required reading for anybody who deals with Somalia, from diplomats to journalists and from NGO workers to United Nations staff. Because if there is one clear lesson that emerges from Lewis's precise and sweeping assessment, it is that Somalia is a walking and moving exception to many rules about the nation-state and that trying to deal with it in 'usual' fashion not only does not help but on the contrary tends to compound the problems.' --Gerard Prunier, author of Darfur: The Ambiguous Genocide and of From Genocide to Continental War: The 'Congolese' Conflict and the Crisis of Contemporary Africa
About the Author
I.M. Lewis FBA, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at the LSE, is recognised internationally as the leading academic authority on the history and cultures of the Somali people, on which he has written dozens of books and articles over the last fifty years.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By KG
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Easy to read and comprehensive covering not only the regional history but also that specifically of Somaliland - which is rare to find! Concise historical details and also gives valuable insight into cultural beliefs and practices
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By A C Jacob
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Well written book giving clear insight into the history and culture of Somalia and Somalian people.
The book was more detailed than for what I needed but the clear chapters, subheadings and text allowed me to skim through easily to find salient information. There was also a chronological summary of key events in Somalian history.
The book was more detailed than for what I needed but the clear chapters, subheadings and text allowed me to skim through easily to find salient information. There was also a chronological summary of key events in Somalian history.
By David
Format:Paperback
This book is a very useful overview of Somalia and its recent history. It is a very good introduction to the subject.
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