Historical Dictionary of Lesotho (Historical Dictionaries of Africa) [Hardcover]

Michelle Frisbie-Fulton (Author), Scott Rosenberg (Author), Richard F. Weisfelder (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0810848716 | ISBN-13: 978-0810848719 | Publication Date: December 16, 2003

Although Lesotho is a small state never likely to be a major player in global affairs, its special interactions with South Africa make it a prototype for regional cooperation. Joint action by South Africa's and Botswana's military forces to end anarchy and preserve democracy in Lesotho serves as an important test case of regional peacekeeping in Africa.

This reference provides comprehensive entries on historical events and personalities and focuses especially on the Basotho who have shaped Lesotho's development rather than on colonial officials and other expatriates. Greatest attention is given to the events, institutions, issues, personalities, places and external relationships of the post-independence era. The bibliography introduces a plethora of newer publications about Lesotho that have supplanted the rather sparse published literature previously available. An extensive chronology of Lesotho's evolution is included.

The authors range of professional expertise and ability to compliment each author's areas of specialization. Offers in depth coverage of the most crucial events and participants in Lesotho's development.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This thorough successor to Gordon Haliburton's 1977 work of the same title brings reference coverage of the Kingdom of Lesotho's complex history up to contemporary times and fills a long-standing gap in Africana. More than twice the size of its predecessor, it reflects the altered social conditions of the region during the past quarter century...Entries are clearly written, with detailed cross-references indicated in italics. A lengthy bibliography of recent publications greatly expands awareness of what has actually been written about Lesotho, while the chronology (a new and much-need resource) reaches from the early nineteenth-century formation of the Basotho kingdom through the coups of the 1990s to 2003, and is accompanied by maps and a royal genealogy. This work is most useful for college and university libraries supporting degree programs in political science, history, and African studies. (Arba )

...the new edition of Lesotho after a quarter of a century is very welcome....Overall, the potential strength of volumes in this series, that they provide fairly regularly revised coverage for many countries where up-to-date reference material in English is lacking or out-of-date, needs to be recognised. (African Research & Documentation )

Twice as long as the first edition (ed. By Gordon Halliburton, 1977), this edition has been written by authors who have lived and worked in the country....Like other new editions in this series, this work should be included in reference collections that cover the countries of the world. Recommended. All collections. (Choice )

About the Author

Scott Rosenberg is a professor of history at Wittenberg University in Ohio. He has returned to Lesotho a number of times to conduct research and has published three articles on Basotho culture and national identity. Richard F. Weisfelder is a professor of political science and former Chair of that department at the University of Toledo, Ohio, where he teaches African Politics, American Foreign Policy and International Relations. He has written extensively about Southern Africa, especially politics in Lesotho and the Southern African Development Community. Michelle Frisbie-Fulton lived in Lesotho in the early 1970s and is currently teaching history in Ball State University's Indiana prison degree program.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press (December 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810848716
• ISBN-13: 978-0810848719
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,382,149 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > History > Africa > Lesotho

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.