In 1991 the Somali state collapsed. Once heralded as the only true nation-state in Africa; the Somalia of the 1990s suffered brutal internecine warfare. At the same time a politically created famine caused the deaths of a half a million people and the flight of a million refugees. During the civil war; scholarly and popular analyses explained Somalia's disintegration as the result of ancestral hatreds played out in warfare between various clans and subclans. In Unraveling Somalia; Catherine Besteman challenges this view and argues that the actual pattern of violence—inflicted disproportionately on rural southerners—contradicts the prevailing model of ethnic homogeneity and clan opposition. She contends that the dissolution of the Somali nation-state can be understood only by recognizing that over the past century and a half there emerged in Somalia a social order based on principles other than simple clan organization—a social order deeply stratified on the basis of race; status; class; region; and language.
#404407 in Books Stackpole Books 2007-02-20Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.25 x .50 x 5.50l; .56 #File Name: 0811733793160 pagesPennsylvania History
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. The Civil War in the NorthBy LibrarianI originally purchased this as a paperback when it was first published and was delighted to be able to download this onto my Kindle when it was offered as a free ebook. It has two major strengths: FIRST; it really drives home to the reader the extent of Confederate penetration into the North (that is to say; across South Central Pennsylvania) in the weeks prior to the Battle of Gettysburg. SECOND; it depicts numerous incidents and confrontations between the invading army and local militias and citizens within these areas. Such events are often overlooked or are only briefly mentioned in accounts primarily covering the entire Civil War; but even many books specifically about Gettysburg give these "peripheral matters" short shrift. In the process of providing the history which these other books do not; this book also explains how you can visit these sites today.Having been written back in 2007; however; some of the book's references and data pertaining to specific museums; shops and businesses are (not unexpectedly) outdated--especially given all that has been done in this area since 2007 in preparation for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. New museums have opened and opportunities to learn even more about the civilian experience (particularly about women and African-Americans) have expanded; these would be appropriate for inclusion in a revised edition. My 4-star rating (rather than 5) reflects this need for updating. Nevertheless; its history remains sound and succinctly presented; and the book (even as-is) definitely fills a real and vital need.This book has an active TOC and index; is well-formatted; and has photographs. If you can still get it for free (as I did); by all means do so immediately. However; I think its original ebook price of $14.95 was a bit steep (even moreso now; given its age); but if it were priced SIGNIFICENTLY lower; I would still recommend it for your consideration.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Worth 5 stars....By John Paul SassoneAs a long time Civil War buff I recommend this book if you're interested in Civil War sites in western Pa. Rather than just list cities and what there is to see in them; Huntington follows Lee's invasion of Pa. and takes you on Lee's trail. You see Lee's progression; ultimately ending up in Gettysburg; and you follow the trail; in your car of course; to sites well know and out of the way. This is an excellent guide book; but more than that its an excellent history book; very interesting; and well worth the price.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Interesting History GuidebookBy J. RobideauI grabbed this book while it was available for free and enjoyed the stories. It seems like it was intended as a guidebook to go along with touring the different trails and sights; but the stories still manage to stand alone.Not the best written history book that I have ever read; but if you are doing sight-seeing in Pennsylvania; grab this book and see if you can match up some of the stories with the places you visit.
