This book vividly depicts Somalia from its pre-colonial period to the present day, documenting the tumultuous history of a nation that has faced many challenges.

This book vividly depicts Somalia from its pre-colonial period to the present day, documenting the tumultuous history of a nation that has faced many challenges. Somalia is a nation with a history that stretches back more than ten millennia to the beginnings of human civilization. This book provides sweeping coverage of Somalia's history ranging from the earliest times to its modern-day status as a country of ten million inhabitants, providing a unique social-scientific treatment of the nation's key issues across ethnic and regional boundaries. The book addresses not only Somali sociocultural and political history but also covers Somalia's administration and economy, secessionist movements, civil and regional wars, and examines the dynamics of state collapse, democratization, terrorism, and piracy in contemporary times. The author details the extremely rich history of the Somali people and their customs while documenting past history, enabling readers to make meaning out of the country's ongoing crisis.

"A good basic introduction for anybody interested in the region." - Booklist

"The author of this work, the chair/director of the International Studies Program at Idaho State University, has written quite a nice monograph on Somali history in only about 200 pages. . . . This work is recommended for most libraries, but especially high school, college, and public libraries." - ARBA