War in the Tribal Zone: Expanding States and Indigenous Warfare

by Neil L. Whitehead

Book Overview

War in the Tribal Zone, the 1991 anthropology of war classic, is back in print with a new preface by the editors. Their timely and insightful essay examines the occurrence of ethnic conflict and violence in the decade since the idea of the tribal zon originally was formulated. Finding the book's analysis tragically prophetic in identifying the key dynamics that have produced the kinds of conflicts recently witnessed globally--as in Bosnia, Kosovo,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0933452802
• ISBN13: 9780933452800
• Release Date: March 2000
• Publisher: School for Advanced Research Press
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Ferguson Shreds

Great book comprised of how state expansion helped initiate, dictate and continue trends of warfare; fostering, in some cases, the creation of tribes and at all times the 'tribal zone'. All the papers presented stem from the 1989 School of American Research advanced seminar on anthropology and warfare. Subjects range from ancient Roman and Sri Lankan state interaction in the tribal zone to Ferguson's more modern take on how western contact had major influence on Yanomami warfare. The reviewer below must have something out for Ferguson since Fried is referred to many times in the chapter "The Violent Edge of Empire". Fried's idea of the state (expansion/domination) creating the category of 'tribes' and his rejection of the historical category of "Tribe" before state contact is referenced (Whitehead also refers to Fried in his chapter). Pretty bush league review from an anonymous anthropologist. The reviewer is probably upset that Ferguson shredded one of his favorite authors. excellent book.

U.S. Army Soldier

Ferguson has a great analytical mind, and a concise writing style. To dispel a myth, Ferguson does anthropological field research regularly.