Richard Pankhurst is one of the foremost modern authorities on Ethiopia. This book is a summary of many more that he has written on the subject. It has acceptable maps (these can almost always be improved) and a helpful chronological table. The prose flows easily and it is a pleasure to read.
My purpose in buying the book was to be able to have conversations regarding Ethiopia with a good friend who has just returned after spending 20 years there. He was impressed that I could ask him to tell me in more detail about the Tigray, or the Amharas or the Oromos, or the Italian occupation or the war with Eritrea!

Palestinians, Armenians, Albanians, Tamils, Chechens-around the world, ethnic groups fight to forge their own nation states. What is the secret of success? In this excellent book, Dr Mark Suzman, one of the few to have predicted the fall of the Afrikaner regime in South Africa, reveals the ingredients of successful ethnic nationalism.

The book rests on three case studies-Afrikaner nationalism, Irish nationalism, and Zionism. All three share a number of features. First, all were formerly under British rule. Second, all grew from a pre-existing ethnic culture based on language and religion-and a sense of discrimination coupled with a history of violent struggles against other ethnic groups. Third, all three had a significant literate class that could formulate the ideology of the nationalist movement-and strengthen the symbols and trappings of nationalism. Perhaps the most extraordinary example of this is the deliberate resurrection of Hebrew from an ancient religious language read by scholars and rabbis to a flourishing modern language spoken by millions. Fourth, all three movements were able to gather popular support through the promise of patronage and wealth once power had been seized. And finally, all were highly organised, having erected a parallel state apparatus that could be swiftly transformed into the real thing.

But alas for the nationalists of the world-and luckily for the rest of us-there is no magic bullet. As Dr Suzman emphasizes, while these features are necessary constituents of successful ethnic nationalism, they are scarcely sufficient. Factors external to the nationalist movement also matter. For example, if the regime that the nationalists are seeking to overturn or replace is strong-and seen by others in the international community to be legitimate-then the nationalists will have a much harder time winning through. For aspiring ethnic nationalists, gathering the support of the international community will ultimately be at least as important as the internal structure of the movement itself.

I have long admired Dr Suzman in secret; I am thrilled that the publication of this wonderful book allows me to make my admiration public.

A brilliant comparative study of tribal politics in Kenya and Nigeria, and the rest of Africa. Also a probing analysis of the tragic failure of the multiparty system in Africa's ethnically divided countries.

It is also an equally impressive critique of the one-party system, although not as detailed, probably because the author's focus is on the divisive nature of multiparty politics in Africa's multiethnic societies.

Highly recommended for scholars and members of the general public interested in comparative study and African affairs.

The book contains beautiful photographs of this 15,000 square mile, national park in northern Namibia. From the ponderous elephants to the mighty cats and the statuesque giraffe, Etosha's rich and varied wildlife are captured in the many landscapes that characterize the park. An excellent memory book of a fabulous trip. Or, an intriguing way to peak your interest in going.

Cathy O'Dowd writes an excellent account of the first South Africans to reach the summit of Everest. She defends well and explains in detail why each member was 'on their own' and why Bruce Herrod ended up never returning. The book doesn't go into Woodall's megalomania like most other accounts of him do, too bad, I was hoping for more of an inside scoop. You've gotta love Cathy though, she's climbed Everest from both sides and is an attractive, athletic woman...what more could you want?

Me. DeWaal has written a superb volume describing the gross violations of human rights and the consequences of willy-nilly, no-strings-attached Western aid during the Ethiopian wars for national liberation and the devastating famines of the mid 80s. He rightly points out, as has Shawcross in his "Quality of Mercy," that in their eagerness to placate oppressive governments in order to provide the starving with aid, Western charitable organizations risk prolonging conflicts and exacerbating civil unrest. He points out that historically Ethiopia has suffered localized famines that have been alleviated by regional surpluses, and that Mengistu's Dergue intentionally deprived rebellious areas of this surplus by bombing villages, drastically curtailing travel, incentives to trade, etc. So, while there was no explicit effort to starve the rebel populace, the Dergue was able to manipulate the situation to its advantage. How many in the West even heard of the TPLF or EPLF during the Famine of '84 and '85? The Western press was blind to the conflict, probably because the right-wing Reaganauts didn't see the independent and left-sounding Tigrayans and Eritreans as "white enough" to be African contras. His book terminates right after the fall of the Mengistu regime, and he makes good recommendations for ensuring peace in the region. Alas, the subsequent events have shown that these ideas were, for the most part, not implemented, and today we have as much animosity as during the depths of the Marxist and royalist regimes. His book serves as a reminder to the guilt-ridden West that good intentions are not enough when tackling famine, and that the political as well as social dimensions must be considered. Am I suggesting that the West should have ignored the plight of the starving Ethiopians and Eritreans? Of course not. But if the West had been more insistent on full access to all sides in the conflict there might have been a quicker end to the civil war. As it was, Mengistu probably bought himself at least three more years of bloody, fratricidal rule.

This book is a great introduction to the Ewe people of Ghana. A must for all teachers and "Africanists!"

I have read many ethnographies in my day, but I can't recall another that has had me at turns astounded by the author's insight, impressed with his prose, saddened by his findings, and laughing out loud at the wry wit of his descriptive voice. I do not normally consider good anthropology "fun" to read, but "EXPECTATIONS OF MODERNITY" bucks the trend. It's well-argued, impassioned, and thoroughly readable.

Author Ferguson is concerned with the experience of "modernity" and "development" as lived by residents of Zambia's Copperbelt, who since the 1970s have experienced an unrelenting slide into social and economic marginalization. He works in case studies drawn from individual interview subjects, census data, and textual asides--boxes featuring news clippings from Zambian papers, or brief "People Watching" accounts of the author's street observations with his research assistant. The discussion ranges from meta-narratives of "progress" and "modernization" to an eye-opening analysis of the opposing styles adopted by Zambian urbanites.

His conclusion is grim: "For many Zambians... recent history has been experienced not--as the modernization plot led one to expect--as a process of moving forward or joining up with the world, but as a process that has pushed them out of the place in the world that they once occupied." The process of globalization has not connected this corner of Africa (and its inhabitants) to the currents of prosperity traversing the world economy; rather it has disconnected them, throwing them out of the garden of "development." Ferguson stresses that they have not been "left out" of world capitalism; the processes of abjection he describes are integral parts of the system.

Even amid the gathering gloom of this analysis, I found myself heartened by the author's occasional humor and by his sympathetic (and self-effacing) accounts of casual encounters in the field. I had not previously had much time for anti-globalization arguments, but Ferguson's disarming approach lowered my skepticism, forcing me to confront the ugly truths of the new world order in a way I had never done before. My hat is off to this man for crafting such a great book.

I found this book to be a good edition to understanding
Afrocentricity with examples of how it works in library history, advancing information technology programs in the African American community, and how the study of African religions fit within the Afrocentric paradigm. What makes the book special is its clear approach to an often mis-understood topic. For example, one chapter is devoted to looking at 86 books in the Afrocetric school of thought. Scholars and activist in African affairs or has the author says 'African world commuity studies' should find this book useful.

Exploring the Natural Wonders of So. Africa is both an invaluable guide to the country, as well as a fine souvenir of one's visit. Each chapter highlights a particular area of interest, with maps, colored illustrations, details of driving and hiking trips, whom to contact for information. It's a book one can leaf through for hours to help plan a trip. I obtained the book in So. Africa and showed it to travel industry people with whom we came into contact. They all thought it to be an exceptionally fine book.