In 1979, Steven C. Caton went to a remote area of Yemen to do fieldwork on the famous oral poetry of its tribes. The recent hostage crisis in Iran ...
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Sep 06, 2010
in 1979 the young American author, an anthropologist, did extensive fieldwork on the oral poetry of the tribes of Yemen. Living in a remote area of Yemen & traveling between villages he was soon embroiled in a dangerous local conflict which continued for months. Excellent book.
Nov 17, 2007
Margie
rated it: 
I had hoped to learn more about Yemen through the firsthand experiences of a cultural anthropologist. What this book is, is a rather odd mix of personal reminiscenses (in a halfway embarrassed/apologetic tone at that) spliced together with sections that sound more like reports on his fieldwork. It seems to be a mix of his dissertation with his diary.
Certainly, there are interesting things to be learned, but the scope of the work was much narrower than the title led me to believe, More...
Certainly, there are interesting things to be learned, but the scope of the work was much narrower than the title led me to believe, More...
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May 18, 2010
Diane
rated it: 
This got a bit tedious in the middle - all the ins and outs of a complicated conflict - but on the whole a fascinating insight into Yemeni culture, including a very different role for poetry than I know as an American. The author is an anthropologist sometimes more concerned with his field than I am, but I liked it very much. It gave me new ways of thinking about the Middle East and its desert cultures - always a good thing amidst the simplicities of mainstream news stories in this country.
May 07, 2010
Namrirru
rated it:
It's an interesting book and clearly written but sometimes the author is a little too superfluous about personal conversations or events.
Now that I've finished it... I do not trust the authors text. It presents itself as being real, but I think some of it may have been edited to the author's favor. Read it and you'll know what I mean. Could it be residual guilt? I don't know, but I do not think he's being totally honest.
Now that I've finished it... I do not trust the authors text. It presents itself as being real, but I think some of it may have been edited to the author's favor. Read it and you'll know what I mean. Could it be residual guilt? I don't know, but I do not think he's being totally honest.
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