Alabi's World (Johns Hopkins Studies in Atlantic History and Culture)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.18 (679 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0801838622 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 472 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-06-27 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Coutts, Western Kentucky Univ. The Saramakas, one of six Maroon groups in Suriname, fought a lengthy war of liberation, winning their freedom in 1762, more than a century before general emancipation. . From Library Journal While Maroon communities of escaped slaves were not uncommon in the New World, nowhere were they more successful in creating their own unique societies than in Suriname. Based on more than 25 years of research, Price uses contrasting accounts of oral testimonies of modern Saramakas, handwritten inscriptions of 18th-century German-Moravian missionaries, and official documents of the Dutch colonial administrators to good effect. Skillfully written, copiously documented, this should stand as the definitive account of early Saramaka culture.- Brian E. In Alabi's World, ethnographic historian Price brilliantly re-creates life in 18th-century Saramaka where Alabi, great-grandson of enslaved Afr
A thorough account of the events surrounding Saramaka life Andre Sam-Sin "Alabi's World" is thorough (some note about that, later), captivating, and educational. To go to the cliche': "I have not been able to put the book down." I must qualify this by saying that my roots are from Suriname and therefore I have much interest in the material because of my familiarity with the settings. However, anyone interested in colonial history, African history as it pertains to the Western Hemisphere (slavery, slave rebellion, African customs of Maroons), . Alabi's World (Johns Hopkins Studies in Atlantic History and Culture) James I ordered this book on 11/02/2011 and got it in less than a week. It is a used book but the condition was as good as the vendor stated. I am extremely satisfied with the purchase and would heartily recommend this vendor.. Gene Rhea Tucker said Rather interesting, however weird it may be, as it reads like a good historical novel. Weird. One part anthropology, one part primary sources, and a little part history. Price basically gives an odd biography of Alabi, a Saramacca, a Maroon society in the forests of Suriname. The problem I have is his reliance on oral traditions of present-day Saramacca, which perhaps skews the record, though, it should be said, that contemporary Dutch written records might be skewed themselves. Also, like most anthropologists, he harbors nothing but ill-will and hatred fo
Owned by men hell-bent for quick prosperity, the rich plantations on the Suriname river became known for their heights of planter comfort and opulence--and for their depths of slave misery. From the opposite side of the negotiations, the colonial Postholders speak of the futility of trying to hold the village leaders to their vow to return any further runaway slaves. The Saramaka voices in these pages recall a world of powerful spirits--called obia's--and renowned heroes, great celebrations and fierce blood-feuds. In a unique historical experiment, Richard Price presents this history by weaving together four voices: the vivid historical accounts related by the slaves' descendants, largely those of Alabi's own villagers, the Saramaka; the reports of the often exasperated colonial officials sent to control the slave communities; the otherworldly diaries of the German Moravian missionaries determined to convert the heathen masses; and the historian's own, mediating voice. From the confluence of these voices--set throughout the book in four different typefaces--Price creates a fully nuanced portrait of the coll