Review: The Zaghawa: Past and Present. By Mahmoud Abbaker Suleiman and Mohamed Ali Abbaker Suleiman. Kuwait Publishing House, 1988

This book is unique in several ways. Firstly, the authors themselves are Zaghawa and command intimate knowledge of the group and personal experience of life and culture of the area. Secondly, this is a well-researched book. Its information is a product of painstaking work among knowledgeable Zaghawa, many of whom are unfortunately no longer with us. Thirdly, the book is by all means encyclopaedic in the sense of spanning through almost every important aspect of Zaghawa life. The book falls under 244 pages and consists of five chapters, each of which contains several headings. It is jamboree for diverse readers including historians, political scientists, folklorists and linguists. Those who are interested in colonialism, nation-state formation, nomadism, kinship and traditional medicine will also find this book good to rea