Customer Reviews

From Babylon to Rastafari: Origin and History of the Rastafarian Movement

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Very good source of information on the genesis of Rastafarianism and it's impact on Jamaica. However it is a little heavy on name dropping, and would have been better if it had more information on the philosophy rather than the biography. The descriptions of the early 'Rasta Camps' was great, but it left me wanting for a description of what was discussed at them. Still I would recommend this book to anyone deeply interested in the 'I'story.

This text reveals one of the most important aspect of the Rastafari culture : repatriation. The author was one of the jamaican "elders" who participate to the "Mission to Africa" in 1963 with Filmore Alvaranga and Mortimo Planno. The Rasta ideology is closely linked to the Back-To-Africa movement. This text explains the fondamental concept of this carribean way of life.

I think a better and more thorough discussion of the rastafarian movement is The Rastafarians by Sr., Leonard E. Barrett. Douglas's thoughts seem to jump around in the book with long lists of individuals whose signifigance and part in the rastafarian movement needs more clarity.

I love this book. It's very insightful and gives a well-rounded historical view of Rastafari. I felt a sense of overstanding of what Rasta elders went through. Naturally, I highly recommend it as an excellent resource.

For someone like myself, who knows a little about Rasta, and would like to know more this is a great starting point.
Douglas Mack really was there, on both missions to Africa, and at Sellasie's visit to Jamaica.
The intro is a little long, and covers in brief everything that is covered in more detail in the book itself.
In many caes it is more interesting to read between the lines to guess what DM isn't saying. Especially on the second visit to Africa when you get the distinct feeling that the Rasta's weren't that welcome in some countries.
Also the relationship with the other delegates on the missions seem strained at times.
It's a shame DM doesn't include the history of the wearing of dreadlocks, and some more events after the sixties.
All in all a good starting point in Dread history, well written, and well worth a look.