War in Pre-Colonial Eastern Africa — 2007 ·

The Patterns and Meanings of State-Level Conflict in the 19th Century

By Richard Reid

“An important and thoughtful overview that reminds us that African military history is worth studying in its own right, and that it illuminates much else about ‘state and society.’”

African Studies Review

“(A) much needed counterpart to studies already done on precolonial warfare in other geographical regions of Africa.... Through well-organized chapters, Reid shows how the East African societies...had a refined sense of the meaning of warfare and its influence on identity, respect, royal inheritance, nationhood, and community.”

International Journal of African Historical Studies

War in Pre-Colonial Eastern Africa examines the nature and objectives of violence in the region in the nineteenth century. It is particularly concerned with highland Ethiopia and the Great Lakes. It will be of use to those interested in military history and to anyone involved in modern development and conflict resolution seeking to understand the deeper historical roots of African warfare.

Contents:
I THEORY & CONTEXT
African War in Historical & Theoretical Perspective
Antiquity & Inheritance
Restorative Violence & the Weight of History

II ARMIES Tools & Tactics
Organisation & Function

III PROCESS, IMPACT & CULTURE
Cost & Profit
War & Economic Change
Violence & Society
The Resolution & Avoidance of Conflict
The Culture of Conflict
Conclusions: War & the Making of State & Society

Richard Reid is a lecturer in African and Imperial History at the University of Durham.