Wholly surrounded by the Republic of South Africa, the ethnically homogenous state of Lesotho was created in the 1830s by the genius of Moshoeshoe I in the aftermath of the lifaqane and owes its independence today to its rugged terrain, the tenacity of its people, and Moshoeshoe's diplomatic skill. In this introduction, authors Bardill and Cobbe outline the features that make Lesotho unique, tracing its history and discussing the peculiar structure of Lesotho's labor reserve economy and the effects it has on development, politics, society, and culture. They examine Lesotho's fascinating...