Product Description
A critically acclaimed book--now also a major documentary film--of "compelling immediacy and irrefutable authenticity, as a testament now and for years to come." (The Los Angeles Times)Former United States Marine Brian Steidle served for six months in Darfur as an unarmed military observer for the African Union. There he witnessed first-hand the ongoing genocide, and documented every day of his experience. Fired upon, taken hostage, a witness to villages destroyed and people killed, frustrated by his mission's limitations and the international community's reluctance to intervene, Steidle resigned and has since become an advocate for the world to step in and stop this genocide.

The Devil Came on Horseback is a gripping memoir that bears witness to unmentionable atrocities and urges all of us to take action. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

important essay from a brave man
I found this book to be clearly written, and from a very personal point of view.Others have criticized the author's sense of outrage, calling this arrogant.This is not a passionless expose.I have to give Steidle credit for having the guts to serve as a witness and reporter of these atrocities, facing down killers, unarmed, when Americans were targets throughout the Islamic World.Steidle shares enough about himself to discern that he is a decent human being.

I feel fortunate to be able to relive Steidle's experience through this book, because I certainly didn't have what it took to go to Darfur myself.

Four stars for style, six stars for content.

please--get your information elsewhere.
I don't know how many times I caught myself rolling my eyes in this book. Not only is it poorly written, but Steidle writes as though he is a saint. He judges every person of authority he comes into contact with--making it appear as though they don't care about helping anyone--Not the way he does. Steidle throws tantrums in his mind when he doesn't get his way--like a thirteen year old boy--followed by a phrase such as, "If this were the Marine Corps..." He writes defensively when he doesn't act as he should have, and brings the attention off of the genocide and onto himself. He goes on pointless little ramblings that he uses to get sympathy from the reader. The stories of his teeth being pulled, getting malayaria, and having uncomfortable nights of sleep are just that (not to mention boring).

A poorly written book about an important subject
1.This is a tough book to review with a lot of mixed emotions for me. On the one hand, I was really looking forward to reading and learning more about the genocide in Darfur.On the other hand, reading this book was about as frustrating as learning about the total chaos and horror that exists in Sudan.

2.A myriad of seemingly tangential thoughts come to mind when trying to describe this book:extreme naivete, narcissism, misguided idealism, hypocrisy, seemingly endless contradictions, tedious details with no overt point, an excess of bureaucratic acronyms, and most important of all--> 94% meaninglessness and 100% impotence. The author with all of his good intentions and idealism and probable narcissism, was part of another completely inept governmental organization that was to do good but actually had no power to do anything in the first place... other than make people like this author... feel good about themselves and then write books about how good they are and how no one else does anything about the myraid of ills in the world.

3.Again, this is a review of the book and not of the reality of the what is unfortunately happening in Sudan.I only give this a generous 2 stars because when all is said and done, if one can come away with having learned something and then to have the energy to do something about the problems in this world, including with what is happening in Sudan... well then, perhaps the author has made a small dent in this world after all.

4.Related tangent:if you want to read a very well written book on the Darfur genocide--> read the first person account via H. Bashir (Tears of the Desert).

A Frustrating Read
I was really looking forward to reading this book so as to receive an honest accounting (and education) of the horrors of Darfur. I wanted to learn about the politics behind the genocide. The players. The purported solution. None of that was offered in this book. First, it was written as though the author wanted it to be an action novel: Sophomoric and cursory explanations of the conflict, but heavy on the scenes where the author is *almost* kidnapped, or *almost* threatened. I felt as though the number of agencies, tribes, governments involved in the conflict (both the good and bad) could have been better explained. Instead, the shorthand was frustrating and difficult to follow.

All in all, not recommended. I understand, from a trusted source, that the documentary of the same name is worth the watch. Perhaps this is one of the rare instances where the movie is better than the book?

Well-written, deceptively easy to read
Worthwhile, but ultimately the reader feels the same frustration as the author: What good is this doing? Why can't I really help? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Egypt and England
This book looks at British involvement in England and how that involvement helped to shape Egypt in the 20th Century. Barthorp briefly touches on Napoleon's brief conquest of Egypt, followed by British and Ottoman forces. It was the construction of the Suez Canal and the strategic implications it had for the British Empire which led to more aggressive involvement in Egyptian affairs, ultimately leading to Dual Control of Egypt by France and England following the insolvency of the Egyptian government. Active British campaigns in Egypt and the Sudan became just one more chapter in the history of British colonialism.

The quality of writing is good, but descriptions of some of the battles and campaigns would have been better served by maps. The photos used to illustrate the book are excellent, as are many of the contemporary artistic renditions included in the work. Although no longer in print it is worth looking for. ... Read more

Product Description
Sudan's post-independence history has been dominated by political and civil strife. Most commentators have attributed the country's recurring civil war either to an age-old racial divide between Arabs and Africans, or to recent colonially constructed inequalities. This book attempts a more complex analysis, briefly examining the historical, political, economic and social factors which have contributed to periodic outbreaks of violence between the state and its peripheries. In tracing historical continuities, it outlines the essential differences between the modern Sudan's first civil war in the 1960s and the current war. It also looks at the series of minor civil wars generated by, and contained within, the major conflict, as well as the regional and international factors - includinghumanitarian aid- which have exacerbated civil violence. This introduction is aimed at students of North-East Africa, and of conflict and ethnicity. It should be useful for people in aid and international organizations who need a straightforward analytical survey.In association with the International African Institute North America: Indiana U Press; Uganda: Fountain Publishers; Kenya: EAEP ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Recommended for experts, not necessarily for beginners
If you are an expert on Sudan, or know quite a bit already, this book may be 4-star book.If you are only a beginner, who knows little, this book is probably not for you, and you would only get "two stars" out of it.For those not so well-versed, I recommend Jok Madut Jok's book on "Sudan, Race ,Religion and Violence."Douglas Johnson's book is written with the assumption that its audience has some familiarity with Sudan already.All others will get quickly lost in the details of the Sudanese conflict, which are quite extensively (if not exhaustively) presented.The writing can tend to be very academic and dry in parts, but the patient reader will glean some real gems of wisdom - or perhaps I should say hot coals of horror - for the intolerance and blindness which has helped perpetuate this conflict really staggers the mind of all people accustomed to peace and tolerance in a democratic society.This work goes to show that unfortunately most people do not have that experience, as the people in Sudan are locked in a conflict that is "racist" and "religion-ist", while they struggle to lift themselves out of poverty.Again experts or those avid or patient enough will get a lot out of Johnson's book - but the reading will not be easy, especially if you have no real prior knowledge of the Sudanese conflict.

a knowledgeable big-picture view about an underserved topic
After reading this book, you will laugh at newspaper reports that describe the conflict in Sudan as between "the Muslim north and Christian and animist south".Johnson not only has extensive academic publications in Sudanese ethnography and historiography, but also worked in the aid field in the country.He is also, in a well-sourced, calm and clearly presented manner, outraged at how thoroughly misunderstood the situation in Sudan is.The detail in this book is amazing.I consider myself fairly knowledgeable in an armchair kind of way about southern Sudan, and was consistently being presented with either facts of which I was unaware or, better yet, syntheses tying togethervarious fields in a historical perspective.The offensives, famines, factionalism within southern groups, agricultural schemes, external mediators, forced displacement patterns, and competing aid agencies are all here, and presented so one can see the linkages.This is one of the rare books in which, for example, the connection between the timing of government offensives to seasonal rainfall is convincingly fit within framework of underdevelopment as a political strategy.

There are a couple points that made me consider moving this down to four stars.One is that Johnson is clearly partisan to the south.He is not fatally so in my opinion, describing some very unflattering characteristics and actions of Garang's faction, and making his bias clear from the beginning.By the end of the book, he also makes a strong case that "neutrality" has been misused or abused in the context of the Sudanese wars, and led me to muse that his outrage seems to spring from his knowledge, versus some writers about southern Sudan whose outrage impedes their learning.I also occasionally found the division of the book in its latter section into thematic sections confusing, especially in cases where the text would refer to later chapters for more information about a mentioned event or process.Fortunately, the appendix includes both a detailed chronology from 1972 through 2001 and a pretty good topical index for when I needed a bit of help orienting myself. The extensive annotated bibliography would be quite useful for some people.There is also the rather obvious issue that the book was written prior to the finalization of the peace agreement and death of Garang, which makes me anxious for an update.

Bottom line: If you want to know about the conflicts in Sudan between 1983 and 2001, then this is the book.If you've read other works on Sudan, you'll be astonished at how thoroughly Johnson annihilates the common wisdom.And whoever you are, you may come to share some of Johnson's outrage.

A NEW AND EXCITING VIEW OF SUDANESE ISLAM AND ITS' ROOTS
An intriguing book that adopts a new slant on the development of Islam in the Sudan. Author Johnson shows us, step by step how the rise of states in this region and their relations with neighbors and the West resulted in a different form of religious expression. The Dervishes that fought the British at the end of the 19th century were imbued with a fervor, according to Johnson that reflected a long-developed process of assimilation and adaptation to both the Northern Arab, the Southern African and he West in general - the colonial experience. It is a fine addition to Francis Deng's great book, WAR OF VISIONS. I found THE ROOT CAUSES OF SUDAN'S CIVIL WARS a very enlightening read. As the author of a new book on the Sudan, JIHAD: THE MAHDI REBELLION IN THE SUDAN, I must include this volume into any meaningful understanding of historical forces in this region. TOP RATED!!! ... Read more

Product Description
The collection of papers in this volume identifies the areas of strength in Sudanese studies both in the Sudan and in Germany, and points to the direction future research should take in order to fill gaps in knowledge, especially with regard to the origin of Nubian languages. The book tackles some of the problems facing Sudan: its financial relations with the World Bank; the difficulties with its regional development projects; the questions of drought, famine and refugees; the problem of Sudanese identity, more specifically how the search for a Sudanese identity impinges on the north-south conflict; and the extent to which the historical experiences of the Sudanese people have complicated this conflict. The text offers a comprehensive analysis of SADCC as a new regional institution of inter-state economic co-operation, beginning with the PanAfrican Movement for East and Central Africa established in 1958 and emphasizing the role of South Africa and external powers in the economies of Southern Africa states. It also seeks to show how the dependence of SADCC states can be explained within the context of center-periphery. ... Read more

Product Description
This comprehensive bibliography presents researchers, consultants, planners, aid organizations and others with the most comprehensive overview of the literature on the Sudan. It covers all fields and disciplines and all types of literature. To facilitate ease of use it is organized according to important topics of regional development: agriculture and pastoralism; anthropological & cultural studies; British and European colonialism; Christian mission and church related studies; development issues; fisheries; health; pre-colonial history; language and language studies; natural sciences; politics, ethnic and religious strife & civil war; travel and geography; and water and climate. Volume two contains detailed reports produced by consultants, governments, NGOs and UN and International Aid Organizations. It also has an inventory of NGO and UN organizations working in the region and a chronology of events to put the bibliographical information in context.
... Read more

Product Description
This comprehensive bibliography presents researchers, consultants, planners, aid organizations and others with the most comprehensive overview of the literature on the Sudan. It covers all fields and disciplines and all types of literature. To facilitate ease of use it is organized according to important topics of regional development: agriculture and pastoralism; anthropological & cultural studies; British and European colonialism; Christian mission and church related studies; development issues; fisheries; health; pre-colonial history; language and language studies; natural sciences; politics, ethnic and religious strife & civil war; travel and geography; and water and climate.
... Read more

Product Description
This volume has detailed reports produced by consultants, governments, NGOs and UN and International Aid Organizations. There is also an inventory of NGO and UN organizations working in the region and a chronology of events to put the bibliographical information in context.
... Read more

Product Description
The consequences of the internal wars of the Sudan and Sri Lanka have been devastating for human and livelihood security and for these two countries'overall development. Both countries have records of failed attempts to resolve their conflicts by political means; both have been going through internationally facilitated peace processes which have also been linked to post-conflict development. Each intra-state conflict has its distinct historical, political, economic and cultural characteristics. Yet there are parallels between two developing countries in which post-colonial state formation has become mired in prolonged anti-state armed conflict. This book addresses from different angles and different levels the issues of conflict resolution, peace preparation, people's perceptions of the impact of conflict on their lives, war-induced grievances, relief, vulnerability, poverty, livelihood revival and social mobility, and development. ... Read more

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Product Description
In 2000, with controversy raging over the presence in Sudan of Canada's largest independent oil and gas producer, Ottawa decided to open a watching post in Khartoum. Nicholas Coghlan was recalled from his assignment in Columbia - another war zone - to set up and run the first diplomatic presence in the largest country in Africa. "In diplomatic circles, you cry when you hear you've been posted to Sudan," says Coghlan. "But you cry even more when you leave." "Far in the Waste Sudan" weaves together a personal and political account of Coghlan's three-year posting. Oil rich and on the front-line of the divide between Africa and the Middle East and between the West and Islam, Sudan is one of Africa's most inaccessible countries."Far in Waste Sudan" is as an excellent introduction that takes the reader from Khartoum, former home to Carlos the Jackal and Osama bin-Laden, to the Wadi Halfa desert, where Canadian travellers played a key role to lift the seige of 1885 and rescue British General Charles Gordon, to the rebel-controlled swamps and jungle lowlands of Equatoria where the rebel People's Liberation Army have held sway for twenty years.Coghlan explores the mountain ranges of Darfur and the forgotten national park of Dinder and races a fifty-year old steel sailing dinghy on the Blue Nile. With new conflicts smouldering in Darfur, "Far in Waste Sudan" also explores the moral and ethical dilemmas of delivering aid to a country at war with itself. Coghlan's rare first-hand account of Sudan offers a unique perspective that leaves an indelible impression. ... Read more

Product Description
The civil war in the Sudan has been generally misunderstood in the Sudanese and Western academic worlds as war between an Arab Muslim North and an African Christian South. This work examines how "African" and "Arab" have been produced in the Sudan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

new approach
An extremely interesting and stimulating work. This new approach certainly has to be encouraged and taken seriously by Sudanese and outsiders. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to comtemporary Sudan, outlining the evolution of the state with emphasis on its post-independence experience. It includes chapters on the politics, history and economy of the country. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent
One has to agree with Yehudit Ronen of the Bar Ilan and Tel Aviv universities, the Sidahmeds deal with the political history of post-colonial Sudan and a short but weighty postscript outlines developments of recent years. Their declared aim is to "provide an adequate background to understand present-day Sudan and its international relations, and to indicate a pointer to the way ahead as far as its political and economic development are concerned." They have done a very good job explaining present-day Sudan and describing the crossroads at which the state now finds itself.

Abdel Salam Sidahmed is an honorary research fellow at the Institute for Middle East and Islamic Studies at the University of Durham; Alsir Sidahmed is a freelance journalist. Both are Arab Muslims originally from northern Sudan.[1] The authors' origins are relevant, for their book provides a distinctive perspective, one that complements the recent stream of books written mostly by either Western scholars, including Robert O. Collins and J. Millard Burr's study of Hasan al-Turabi and the Islamist state[2] (although Burr is originally from Sudan), and Douglas H. Johnson's book on Sudan's civil wars,[3] or Sudanese scholars and others sympathetic to the Christian and animist south, such as Mansour Khalid's study of war and peace in Sudan.[4] This makes Sudan: The Contemporary Middle East an essential and enriching addition on Sudanese state and society.

Sudan focuses mainly on internal issues, including a brief chapter on economic affairs, in which they discuss the issue of oil, Sudan's leading export and a commodity that increasingly dominates its politics. The book also examines the country's broader geopolitical situation and its effect on domestic stability. Examining Sudan's state formation from the nineteenth century onwards, the authors analyze the major features and functioning of Sudan's political machinery, which has been characterized by a cycle of alternating civilian and military regimes. Their survey is illuminating, providing rich information and thorough discussion of Sudan's political map.

In their conclusion, the authors find that the country has been "involved in a painful search for Sudan's soul for the past half century." It has also been engaged in an equally painful search for its "body," that is, an ongoing attempt to maintain the country's political stability and territorial integrity.


[1] "North Sudan" actually encompasses the east, west, and center of Sudan--a huge territorial expanse; the editors use it because "North" and "South" are commonplace in dealing with the sides in Sudan's civil war.
[2] J. Millard Burr and Robert O. Collins, Revolutionary Sudan: Hasan al-Turabi and the Islamist State, 1989-2000 (Leiden: Brill, 2003).
[3] Douglas H. Johnson, The Root Causes of Sudan's Civil Wars (Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2003).
[4] Mansour Khalid, War and Peace in Sudan: A Tale of Two Countries (London: Kegan Paul International [KPI], 2003). For details on the above-mentioned books, see Michael Rubin, "Brief Reviews," Middle East Quarterly, Spring 2004, pp. 83-95.
... Read more

Product Description
After a long process of peace negotiations the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed on 9 January 2005 between the Government of Sudan (GOS) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A). The CPA raised initial hopes that it would be the foundation block for lasting peace in Sudan. This book compiles scholarly analyses of the implementation of the power sharing agreement of the CPA, of ongoing conflicts with particular respect to land issues, of the challenges of the reintegration of internally displaced people and refugees, and of the repercussions of the CPA in other regions of Sudan as well as in neighbouring countries. ... Read more