Sudan

Cultures of the World

by Patricia Levy

Examines the geography, history, government, economy, and culture of the war-torn country where the African and Arab worlds mingle

128 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Dennis Fischman · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a white Westerner, I learned practically nothing about Sudan until I was an adult, and then, it was mainly paternalistic stuff about the "lost boys" and about Western efforts to relieve the famine in Darfur. I read A History of the Sudan: From the Coming of Islam to the Present Day for a long-sweep history, but it was excessively academic and focused almost exclusively about who was fighting whom for power at any given time.

This shorter, more popular book brought me up to 2017 and took a broader look at Sudan's geography, people, culture, food, religion, and even its political history. With many photos, it had a more "you are there" kind of feeling to it. I still noted a bias against Muslims and in favor of the more animist and Christian culture in what is now independent South Sudan plus a patronizing attitude toward many Sudanese customs.

I do so wish I could find an introduction to Sudan--not "the Sudan," which is just as colonialist as "the Ukraine"!--that was written from a Sudanese perspective, but in English! (Unfortunately, I don't read Arabic.)