{"product_id":"the-peoples-of-the-middle-roderick-james-mcintosh-9780631173618","title":"The Peoples of the Middle Niger","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe Peoples of the Middle Niger\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis book provides the first comprehensive history of the peoples of the Middle Niger written by an English-speaking scholar. \u003ci\u003e'The Island of Gold'\u003c\/i\u003e was the medieval Muslim and later European name for a fabled source of gold and other tropical riches. Although the floodplain of the Niger river lies far from the goldfields, the mosaic of peoples along the Middle Niger created a wealth of grain, fish, and livestock that supported some of Africa's oldest cities, including Timbuktu. These ancient cities of the region that came to be known as Western Sudan were founded without outside stimulation and their inhabitants long resisted the coercive, centralized state that characterized the origins of earliest towns elsewhere. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this book, Roderick James McIntosh uses the latest archaeological and anthropological research to provide a bold overview of the distant origins of life for the inhabitants of the Middle Niger, and an explanation for their social evolution. He shows, for instance, the difficulties the peoples faced in adapting to an unpredictable climate, and how their particular social organization determined the unusual nature of their responses to that change. Throughout the book oral traditions are integrated into the story, providing vivid insights into the inhabitants' complex culture and belief systems.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Roderick James McIntosh\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0631173617\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780631173618\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Wiley-Blackwell\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/15\/1998\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 384\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.50lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.29h x 6.23w x 1.05d\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Roderick James McIntosh","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44311033741567,"sku":"9780631173618","price":93.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_b8437b50-4fbe-4404-b3bb-6c06fbffab84.jpg?v=1695720733","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-peoples-of-the-middle-roderick-james-mcintosh-9780631173618","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}