I. M. Lewis, anthropologist and historian, is widely considered to be the greatest researcher to chart the origins and development of Somalia. In this volume, established and emerging scholars review Lewis's work, along with the findings of others, and advance new, groundbreaking methods and unprecedented topics.
Contributors tackle the impact of colonial powers, such as Britain and Italy; Somali poetic heritage and its relationship with politics; variations between northern/pastoral and southern/agropastoral populations within Somali culture; the significance of clanship, including its...