Since the third edition was published, the Republic of Sudan has been partitioned, leading to the independence of the Republic of South Sudan in July 2011. As a result of this major development, this dictionary has been greatly expanded to include much new information on political parties, militias, towns and cities, and the civil war, among many other topics. In addition, new maps, charts, illustrations, and tables have been added. Authors Kramer, Lobban, and Fluehr-Lobban are experts active in the Sudan Studies Association. They deserve commendation for trying "to project a Sudanese point of view to avoid or minimize Eurocentrism; where Sudanese judgments differ we have tried to present multiple and sometimes contradictory views."

Similar to the other titles in Scarecrow's historical dictionary series, this work primarily includes A-Z entries covering people, politics, social issues, institutions, and events. In addition, it features maps (of uneven quality), an extensive chronological time line, and an unannotated bibliography. A very brief bibliographic essay provides evaluations of some useful sources. Especially helpful is the much lengthier introduction on the history of the country from the advent of Islam through postindependence. For coverage of much earlier times, see Lobban's Historical Dictionary of Ancient and Medieval Nubia. A recurring problem with Scarecrow's historical dictionaries is that the entries do not cite any sources, making it very difficult for students and researchers to do follow-up research. Nevertheless, this is an outstanding ready-reference source providing hard-to-find information on one of the most important countries on the African continent.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers.

Choice Reviews

The Historical Dictionary of Sudan, like its predecessor, starts with the rise of Islam. It concludes with Sudan partitioned into two countries. As with other Historical Dictionaries in the series, it begins with a chronology that has brief entries for the period from 5000 B.C.E. to the 1400s (the time period covered in the Historical Dictionary of Ancient Nubia) and fuller ones from 1504 to 2012 (the time period of this volume). An introductory essay precedes the alphabetic entries about people, places, events, and more. The seven appendixes are: a current factfile; ethno-linguistic groups in or adjoining the Sudan; sultans; eighteenth- and nineteenth-century administrators; 1890 agreement for the administration of the Sudan; political structure and administration; and educational institutions. There is an extensive bibliography broken down into areas such as historical, political, economic, cultural, and more. It includes electronic sources as well as books, journal entries, and audio-visual materials. This work is intended to be a comprehensive reference and research tool for undergraduates and generalist researchers and helpful to specialists in Sudan and African/Middle Eastern studies.

American Reference Books Annual

I would recommend this book to any library with an interest in the region, or in international relations in general, as one of the few balanced resources on an area of potential major conflict.

Reference Reviews