A Green Place, A Good Place: Agrarian Change and Social Identity in the Great Lakes Region to the 15th Century (Social History of Africa)
“[P]acked with serious, imaginative, and impressive scholarship that greatly advances both the range and depth of knowledge about early East Africa.”–Choice“In an era when African Historians prefer to restrict themselves to colonial history, David Schoenbrun demonstrates that not only is precolonial history possible, but that a sophisticated mix of historical linguistics, political and semantic anthropology, and close attention to oral sources and customs can produce a powerful account of the ancient history of a region. Schoenbrun's study will cause us to rethink precolonial African history; it demonstrates that history in Africa can be done at time depths that most historians would be unwilling to examine, and it will be a model for future studies in Africa and elsewhere.”–Ivan Karp, Emory University“This is serious stuff. It is solid, heavy, and very articulate. David Schoenbrun has made a major difference in our understanding of the Great Lakes history and cultures. This book will command the attention of any Africanist for many, many years to come.”–V.Y. Mudimbe, Stanford and Duke Universities