Professor Andrew Smith has through the last thirty years provided researchers interested in African history with incisive analysis on a wide variety of topics, from southern Saharan archaeology to the colonial history of Khoikhoi herders at the Cape of Good Hope. In this book, he returns to one of his earliest interests, the comparative study of African herding populations through time. African Herders is a sweeping survey of the origins and development of pastoralist traditions in Africa, effectively blending archaeological, ethnographic, historical and other evidence in order to best interpret this extremely complex topic. Two of the particular strengths of the book are its attention to the modern contexts of herding lifeways on the continent, andto the central roles that women play in pastoralist communities. This attention is an effective antidote to some traditional reviews of the topic, which have treated pastoralist societies as moored in a timeless - and partiarchal - past. In the courseof African Herders, Professor Smith also points out intriguing relationships between herding populations in the Shara and East Africa, and between the cultural practices of ancient and modern pastoralists across the continent. In addition, he places

Scott MacEachern, Bowdoin College

Andrew's publication fills a gap which was crying out in need. The synthesis is broad-ranging and insightful, an dhis writing is brilliantly clear. I can only reiterate the words of Scott MacEachern in sating this is 'essential reading for specialists in African prehistory', an dadd that it should be compulsory for any layperson or student with a passing interest in the subject.

Antiquity Of Man

Nomadic pastoralists have occupied a significant place in African history for nearly 10,000 years. Andrew Smith's wide-ranging investigation of their archaeology is an indispensable introduction to these fascinating African cultures, their origins, spread, development and future in a changing world.

Joseph O. Vogel

Andrew Smith has captured the richness of African pastoralism, in all its geographic variability and chronological depth. His portrayal reflects his immersion in this wealth of material, and the African materials provide an important and necessary complement to the comparative study of pastoral adaptations, one which often confounds ideas developed in other parts of the world. African Herders: Emergence of Pastoral Traditions is a fine introduction to this complex and fascinating phenomenon.

Steve Rosen, Ben-Gurion University

Recommended. All levels/libraries.

Choice Reviews

Professor Andrew Smith has through the last thirty years provided researchers interested in African history with incisive analysis on a wide variety of topics, from southern Saharan archaeology to the colonial history of Khoikhoi herders at the Cape of Good Hope. In this book, he returns to one of his earliest interests, the comparative study of African herding populations through time. African Herders is a sweeping survey of the origins and development of pastoralist traditions in Africa, effectively blending archaeological, ethnographic, historical and other evidence in order to best interpret this extremely complex topic. Two of the particular strengths of the book are its attention to the modern contexts of herding lifeways on the continent, and to the central roles that women play in pastoralist communities. This attention is an effective antidote to some traditional reviews of the topic, which have treated pastoralist societies as moored in a timeless - and partiarchal - past. In the course of African Herders, Professor Smith also points out intriguing relationships between herding populations in the Shara and East Africa, and between the cultural practices of ancient and modern pastoralists across the continent. In addition, he places the development of pastoralism in Africa firmly in the context of parallel processes in neighboring areas of the Old World, instead of - as is all too often the case - treating the continent in isloation. African Herders: Emergence of Pastoral Traditions is well written and well illustrated. It is accessible to a general audience, including university students and members of the public who have an interest in archaeology and/or African topics. However, the breadth of synthesis and care in scholarship that have gone into this book will make it essential reading for specialists in African prehistory as well. I highly recommend it.

Scott MacEachern, Bowdoin College