The Mother of Us All: A History of Queen Nanny, Leader of the Windward Jamaican Maroons [Paperback]

Karla Lewis Gottlieb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2000

The author analyzes the importance of Queen Nanny from cultural, military, historical, and religious point of view. This book marks an attempt to integrate a key figure of New World history into her rightful place as the leader of a critical resistance movement in Jamaica in the first part of the 18th century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"its a good book" -- Alan Ruiz

Product Details

• Paperback: 122 pages
• Publisher: Africa World Press (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865435650
• ISBN-13: 978-0865435650
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #277,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > History > Americas > Caribbean & West Indies > Jamaica

More About the Author

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Mother of Us All. A History of Queen Nanny, January 8, 2001

By 

Robert E Young (Virginia Beach, Va USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mother of Us All: A History of Queen Nanny, Leader of the Windward Jamaican Maroons (Hardcover)

This is a small book, 119 pages, that cuts a big swath. It is about an interesting period and a lively woman of the early 18th Century, someone who never made it into any of my history books. I certainly know about her now. Gottlieb pulls together threads from many sources into one rich fabric. This is a progressive book about colonialism, racism, feminism, about military srategy, about the West-African-rooted religious traditions and the use of supernatural powers that made their way into the Maroon Culture. Gottlieb obviously has great respect for her subject -- this remarkable woman, Nanny, part historical figure, part legend -- who represents a courageous struggle against oppression. The book is well-researched, illustrated, and spirited reading. Some of the historical documents can be bypassed if not interested. One is impressed with its relevance to the very same "isms" that continue to torment us in the 21st century.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The original Wonder Woman from Paradise Island, November 9, 2007

By 

ANANSI (Richmond, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mother of Us All: A History of Queen Nanny, Leader of the Windward Jamaican Maroons (Paperback)

This is an exceptional book on the history of Queen Nanny. This book provides a great account of Queen Nanny in Jamaica from the perspective of the Maroons, Jamaicans, and British. There are plenty of historical references sprinkled throughout the literature so that the reader can do their own research. I have a sense that she was the original "Wonder Woman" as she lived on a true "Paradise Island" and could not just stop bullets but also "catch" them. The book goes into detail about the metaphysical importance of an Obeah woman and how her power kept the strong African spirit alive within the Jamaican Maroons. It is empowering to read how such few people were able to defeat the British in so many battles. The book is brief but packed with informative information on this little known person. As a man descended from the Akan, I felt proud how the African rituals were continued in Jamaica for those that escaped human bondage. This is a great read for both men and women.