Author Description

Review"A sharp political history." -- Foreign Affairs"[An] important and eminently readable new book... masterful.... the book constitutes an extremely valuable tool for practitioners. Its message is a powerful one."-- Cambridge Review of International Affairs"Christopher Clapham is without doubt one of the most knowledgeable experts on the Horn of Africa in the world, and this is a must-read book for anyone working in or on the region. With his characteristic wit and palpable compassion for the people who live in the Horn, Clapham shares a lifetime of keen insights on the region's extraordinarily complex and often tragic political trajectories.'"--Ken Menkhaus, Professor of Political Science, Davidson College"An old master on superb form: Christopher Clapham's latest book is a work of great clarity, trenchant analysis and original insight."--Harry Verhoeven, Assistant Professor, School of Foreign Service in Qatar, Georgetown University, and co-author of Why Comrades Go to War: Liberation Politics and the Outbreak of Africa's Deadliest Conflict"Clapham has produced a book which is simultaneously both an accessible, concise synthesis and a monument to erudite scholarship. His text thus serves as both a unique introduction to the peoples and history of the Horn and an original resource for academic and policy specialists. Clapham's refreshingly clear prose and comparative analyses replace simplistic stereotypes and received wisdom by analyzing how variegated landscapes, religions, languages and livelihoods forged power and authority in the Horn of Africa."--David Styan, Birkbeck College, University of London"Characteristically erudite, trenchant and provocative, The Horn of Africa offers that rare combination: an enjoyably 'good read,' at once informative, accessible and beautifully written; an important and lucid synthesis informed by a lifetime of extraordinary scholarship in tackling head-on the exceptionalism of this part of Africa; and a stimulating challenge to