Author Description

In this penetrating and timely book, Anna Simons documents Somalia's impending slide toward anarchy. By exploring the volatile mix of external interest in Somalia, internal politicking, and enduring social structure, she documents how cross-cultural misunderstanding and regroupment are key to explaining Somalia's breakdown at the national level. Simons charts new ground in the study of the dissolution of a state, shuttling back and forth between micro and macro frames, historical and everyday practices, and expatriate and Somali experiences.