In an era when African Historians prefer to restrict themselves to colonial history, David Schoenbrun demonstrates that not only is precolonial history possible, but that a sophisticated mix of historical linguistics, political and semantic anthropology, and close attention to oral sources and customs can produce a powerful account of the ancient history of a region. Schoenbrun's study will cause us to rethink precolonial African history; it demonstrates that history in Africa can be done at time depths that most historians would be unwilling to examine, and it will be a model for future studies in Africa and elsewhere. - Ivan Karp, Emory University This is serious stuff. It is solid, heavy, and very articulate. David Schoenbrun has made a major difference in our understanding of the Great Lakes history and cultures. This book will command the attention of any Africanist for many, many years to come. - V.Y.

Mudimbe, Stanford and Duke Universities In A Green Place, A Good Place, David Schoenbrun depicts a complex dynamic of historical transformation characterized by the interplay of environmental, social, and philosophical change. This interplay of historical forces developed around an enormously varied tapestry of forms of power which Great Lakes peoples understood to work in their world. Schoenbrun elegantly weaves the diverse methodologies of historical and comparative linguistics, and comparative ethnography and archaeology, into a broadly conceived social history of interlacustrine peoples' ideas about health, politics, gender, and social life.This book suggests new ways to compose histories of societies for which there exist no written records, oral traditions, or conscious memories. Schoenbrun's research strategy demonstrates his extraordinary capacity to recover the achievements of ancient Africans. His book will be required reading for Africanist scholars across disciplinary boundaries. Other scholars interested in the effectiveness of interdisciplinary research methodologies will find the book highly valuable as well.