Darfur's Sorrow: A History of Destruction and Genocide.(Book review)

Darfur's Sorrow: A History of Destruction and Genocide. By M. W. Daly. (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Pp. xix, 368. $22.99.)

The appearance of the Darfur crisis in news reports around the world has acted as a catalyst for a number of studies trying to explain the massive human rights violations that have occurred in what was "one of the least known places in the world" (1). Few provide the depth of historical analysis presented in this book. M. W. Daly is an expert on the history of the Sudan and Egypt and so is ideally placed to put recent events into a proper perspective. His research is a most important contribution to bettering our understanding of Darfur and it should be read by anyone attempting to comprehend recent events.

The book is divided into twelve chapters that take the reader from the founding of the Fur state to the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement. They are structured to reflect major political changes in the history of Sudan, including the creation of the Fur Sultanate, the annexation by Egypt, the Mahdiyya, Anglo-Egyptian rule, the post-Independence era, the "May Regime," and rule by the National Islamic Front (NIF). The final chapter offers a penetrating examination of the destruction of Darfur. The author believes that genocide is the correct term to apply to the mass murder that has taken place and cannot hide his disappointment at the weak international responses to the crimes that have taken place there.

When placed in the broader historical context the story of Darfur becomes one of complexity, fluidity, and change. Daly characterizes this as "chaotic normality" (84). However, ...