The Gypsies (The Peoples of Europe) (Paperback)

by Angus Fraser (Author) "For something like half their history, there are few written records we can usefully turn to in following the Gypsies' trail..." (more)
Key Phrases: Privy Council, European Romani, Low Countries (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
British civil servant Fraser offers a thorough, scholarly survey of the origins and history of the Gypsies, the wandering pilgrims who arrived in the Balkans during the Middle Ages and gradually spread over Europe and beyond. In an academic but readable style, he writes of the Gypsies' linguistic and anthropological background, their migrations through Persia and Europe, the 15th-century persecution of them and their attempts to survive repressive legislation. In the 18th and 19th centuries, attitudes toward the Gypsies became somewhat more benign, though the Gypsies continued to resist assimilation. Fraser mentions that Gypsies joined the waves of immigrants to the United States but does not elaborate on their experiences here. After discussing Nazi repression and extermination of Gypsies, he addresses current conditions: migrations are spurred primarily by economic concerns, pentecostal Christianity is becoming popular and Gypsies are forming political organizations. Illustrations.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"The best general book on the Gypsies." Choice.

"This is an important book. Anyone interested in Roma in this country or elsewhere should read it." Traveller.

"Everyone has an opinion on Gypsies, and no one knows any. The opinions are almost always bad. Unfortunately, there's more published information available on the Martians than on Gypsies. Into the breach comes Angus Fraser with an accessible, well-informed introduction." Voice Literary Review.

"A particularly fascinating study, not least because of the author's precise and engaging use of the English language ... An absolutely essential foundation for embarking on this rapidly growing field." Contemporary Sociology.

"An important and welcomed contribution to the study of Gypsies." Man: The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute

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Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (March 2, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631196056
• ISBN-13: 978-0631196051
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #539,913 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Informative, but lacking first person insights., November 27, 1998

By	"onegoodeye" (Lehi, Utah USA) - See all my reviews

I am glad I read this book--for the most part it provided what I was after. It gives a good overview of Gypsie history from what is thought to be their beginnings to the present. I was disapointed that Gypsie migration to the US is only briefly mentioned, with nothing on the status of contemporary Gypsie life here. I was very disapointed that the author could not personalize what the Gypsies went through. I realize that due to the high levels of Gypsie illiteracy, there may not be much in the way of journals, etc. However, something could have been done to personalize their experience. For instance, the author goes in to too much detail about laws enacted by European Countries to deal with Gypsies, but does not discuss how these harsh laws affected them personally. I know more about Gypsies as a group, but nothing about them as individuals.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, April 15, 2001

By	Amber Hansford "amber" (St. Marys, Georgia United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a wonderful book for those interested in the history of the Roma. It does generalize some of the finer points of the history, but it still works because of the fact that the author had to deal with so much information to put into one book. If you can only buy one book on the history of the gypsies, this is the one!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An important account, December 7, 2003

By	Seth J. Frantzman (Jerusalem, Israel) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Gypsies (The Peoples of Europe) (Hardcover)

An epic account of the Gypsies. Although shallow on some details and not current enough in terms of looking at contemporary populations this survey of Gypsy history is an important account. Although the author does not fully explain the origins of the Romani and he does connect the importance of the `wandering Jew' stereotype to the gypsy phenomenon this book does give a complete account of relations with and among the Gypsies from their original immigration to Europe to the present. Gypsy's are present in every major European country, and in some eastern European countries they makes up a large percentage of the population. Poor and wretched the Gypsies are phenomenally misunderstood and understudied, unlike the Jewish Diaspora which is well documented due to Jewish literary traditions and academic heritage the Gypsy's are a people lost to words and a people that deserve books like this one chronicling their ways and customs and plights. One factual error may be present in this book, in an early chapter the author assumes the description `Egyptians' applies to Gypsy's, the authors conjecture is most likely incorrect as `Egyptian' probably meant `Arab' or North African muslim. A minor error that should not detract from the book as a whole.