For long dismissed as a disparate series of tribal groups destined to disappear with the growth of modern nation states, the Berbers have recently re-emerged in the public eye. The Tuareg in Mali are in full revolt, while Kabyle political parties have made substantial electoral gains. With this has come a cultural revival, contributing to a growing body of Berber literature and music. However, though there are many detailed anthropological studies, there has been no general study of the Berbers available in the English language. This book gives a detailed historical account of the Berber peoples from pre-history to the present day, and also providing an anthropological survey of the Berbers in the modern world. It should help dispel the general ignorance of the Berbers found in the English-speaking world, and should be of interest to students, scholars and the general public.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The only general book on the Berbers in English,
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This review is from: The Berbers: Michael Brett and Elizabeth Fentress (Peoples of Africa) (Hardcover)
The Berbers occupy a huge area of North Africa from Morocco to western Egypt and as far south as Timbuktu and the Niger River. Historically, their influence extended to Sicily, southern Italy, and Spain and now enriches emigrant culture in contemporary France. They are not a single "people" but can be defined by their prehistoric Mediterranean origins, by a common language (or language-group) and by their historical tendency to seek refuge from a long succession of conquerors (Punic, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Ottoman, French) in remote mountain or desert communities, where they could preserve their independence and way of life. This book, by an archaeologist and a historian, provides an excellent summary of Berber history and culture. It casts a critical eye on the traditional historical sources (almost all written by the conquerors, not by the Berbers themselves) and re-examines them in the light of contemporary archaeological and anthropological evidence. It is especially good in two areas: the Berbers' relationship to Islam, their adopted religion, and the relative freedom of women in Berber society. The black-and-white illustrations and maps are of uneven quality but nevertheless helpful in visualizing this complex and little-known culture
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