Divided by History: Roots of Sudanese Conflict

by Peter Dixon

Do you wonder how the past affects today’s violent conflict? Tragic turmoil in Khartoum reminds us how fragile peace can be.

Sudanese civil wars were not ended by formation of a new state. Violence has continued in South Sudan and we see today that the North is by no means peaceful.

Current politics matter. Yet the origins of today’s violence stretch back into past centuries. And much of Sudanese history has been about intervention and domination by foreigners.

By telling the stories of some of these outsiders, Divided by History digs out the historical roots of Sudanese conflicts.

Along the way, we meet The 2,300 BC pioneer who braved the dangers of Egypt’s 'Wild South’ The ambitious Albanian 'Turk’ who connived his way to becoming ruler of Egypt and Sudan The devout Christian who was sent to relieve a besieged city - and gave his life The meticulous general whose superior weaponry proved an unstoppable force The adventurers, soldiers and even Olympic oarsmen who ruled a vast land while still young And we recognise the difficulty of escaping from our past and the importance of understanding it.

109 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 5, 2019

About the author

Peter Dixon is a researcher, lecturer and author. He has previously written about a medical expedition in the Peruvian jungle (Amazon Task Force) and about his work as a Christian peacebuilder (Peacemakers). He currently writes nonfiction with a focus on human stories in war and peace. In bringing history to life, his ambition is for readers to get the same enjoyment and understanding as he has gained from writers like Antony Beevor, Ben Macintyre and Paddy Ashdown. He and his wife Ingrid, also an author, work from their home in Gloucestershire, England, when their five grandchildren allow them to do so.

Reviews

[Robert Enzenauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doctor Dixon, Colonel, RAF Retired, has an excellent, well written and easily readable history that explain the roots of the Sudanese civil wars. According to Dr. Dixon, the origins of today's violence stretch back into past centuries. Dixon contends that much of Sudanese history has been about intervention and domination by foreigners. Dixons starts from the very beginning is beginning with the pioneers who braved the dangers of Egypt's land south in 2,300 BC. Sudan was very different from the many English colonies around the world. British adventurers and soldiers ending up administering the Sudan, when Egypt was still part of the Ottoman empire. Bankrupt, Egypt shared sovereignty and governance of Sudan with Britain. Most interesting for me is the author's elucidation of the Sudan Political Service . Described by Lord Cromer in the elitist language of the time, they recruited a cadre of "active young men, endowed with good health, high character and fair abilities . . not the mediocre by-products of the race, but the flower of those who are turned out from our schools and colleges." They found their recruits among the young men of Oxford and Cambridge, most often looking on the sports field for candidates. An example was Randal Laurie, father of the actor Hugh Laurie, who rowed for Cambridge, winning the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race in 1934, 1935, and 1936, and rowing for Great Britain in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Indeed, the success of this short book emanates from it's focus on the individual stories set in their historical context.

[Bethany Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good history

It was interesting in parts. It just read like a high school textbook to me. And it felt like it jumped between dates back and forth. So it was hard to keep straight what was going on. But otherwise it was good.

[Dasagamabu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha resultado útil e interesante este libro que presenta brevemente la historia de Sudán y su división con Sudán del Sur. Contiene bibliografía para profundizar