A History of Modern Sudan

Description

Sudan's modern history has been consumed by revolution and civil war. The country attracted international attention in the 1990s as a breeding ground of Islamist terrorism and recently tensions between the prosperous centre and the periphery, between north and south, have exploded in Darfur. In his latest book, Robert Collins, a frequent visitor and veteran scholar of the region, traces Sudan's history across two hundred years to show how many of the tragedies of today have been planted in its past. The story begins with the conquest of Muhammad 'Ali in 1821, and moves through the Anglo-Egyptian condominium to independence in 1956. It then focuses on Sudanese rule in the post-independence years when the fragile democracy established by the British collapsed under sectarian strife. It is these religious and ethnic divides, the author contends, in conjunction with failed leadership, which have prolonged and sustained the conflict in Sudan.

Robert O. Collins is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His recent publications include Civil Wars and Revolution in the Sudan: Essays on the Sudan, Southern Sudan and Darfur, 1962-2004 (2005), Darfur: The Long Road to Disaster (2006) and A History of Sub-Saharan Africa (with James M. Burns, 2007).

'Robert Collins has drawn deeply on his half century of research on, and intimate knowledge of, Sudan to write a gripping account of what has been for much of this book a tragic history. At a time when Sudan's future is more uncertain than ever- with the peace agreement with the south under strain and new conflict in Darfur- there could be no more revealing account of the making of this situation. Academics, practitioners and the general public will all find enlightenment here.' Peter Woodward, University of Reading 'Collins, one of the grand masters of Sudanese history, provides a remarkable portrait of modern Sudan that is both an encyclopedic reference aid and a clear presentation of the main themes of modern Sudanese history. The analysis is sometimes controversial and always helpful and informative. In his characteristic style, Collins provides both the big picture and the necessary supporting details in this book that will be of great help to specialists and non-specialists alike, and should be required reading for policy makers dealing with Sudan.' John Voll, Georgetown University