Sudan is a country in turmoil, ravaged by civil war, and plagued by roaming gangs of rebel and government militia, with several million facing starvation and disease in Darfur. Tales of state-sponsored murder, genocide, and humanitarian crises are rife, and there is a real need for a measured investigation that carefully examines the causes of the troubles. In this important book, Jok Madut Jok delves deep into his country’s culture and past, isolating the factors that cause its fractured national identity. Filled with sharp argument and illustrated with heroic real-life stories of the Sudanese people, Sudan will appeal to everyone who wishes to gain a greater understanding of the history and politics of this fascinating country.

Jok Madut Jok is Assistant Professor of History at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. He has published numerous books and articles including War and Slavery in Sudan.

"In a set of skillfully argued and well-researched chapters, the author examines the role of religion, race, and resource wars." Choice, Jan 2008

"Jok Madut Jok's book is a useful guide to the multiple forces, economic, religious and ethnic, facing each other in Sudan." Transnational Perspectives