THE HORN OF AFRICA, state formation and decay

244pp., maps, paperback, Second Edition, London, (2017) 2023

"Clapham has produced a book which is simultaneously both an accessible, concise synthesis and a monument to erudite scholarship. His text thus serves as both a unique introduction to the peoples and history of the Horn and an original resource for academic and policy specialists. Clapham's refreshingly clear prose and comparative analyses replace simplistic stereotypes and received wisdom by analyzing how variegated landscapes, religions, languages and livelihoods forged power and authority in the Horn of Africa." David Styan, Birkbeck College, University of London

"Characteristically erudite, trenchant and provocative, The Horn of Africa offers that rare combination: an enjoyably 'good read,' at once informative, accessible and beautifully written; an important and lucid synthesis informed by a lifetime of extraordinary scholarship in tackling head-on the exceptionalism of this part of Africa; and a stimulating challenge to the thinking of specialists, activists, students and citizens of this complex and contested region." Sarah Vaughan, Honorary Fellow, University of Edinburgh

Christopher Clapham is based at the Centre of African Studies, Cambridge University, and recently retired as editor of The Journal of Modern African Studies. He was Professor of Politics and International Relations at Lancaster University. His books include Transformation and Continuity in Revolutionary Ethiopia (1988), Africa and the International System (1996), and African Guerrillas (1998).