Research Guides
Horn of Africa (HSTAFM 288 / NEAR E 288): Somalia
Quick Info: Country Profiles
These sources provide quick information for countries including brief overviews of the economy, politics and history. Look for the country name to find the entry.
- Countries and their cultures
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Quick Info: Diaspora
- Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America: Somali Americans
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- Multicultural America: Somalian Immigrants
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Quick Info: History
- Historical Dictionary of Somalia
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Somalia: Recommended Books
These are recommended books for those studying Somalia. All are available at the UW Libraries either in print or online. Some may be available at local public libraries.For a more comprehensive list of books see the Horn of Africa: A Bibliography.
- Hansen, Stig Jarle. Al-Shabaab in Somalia: The History and Ideology of a Militant Islamist Group, 2005-2012. Oxford University Press, 2014.
- Harding, Andrew. The Mayor of Mogadishu: A Story of Chaos and Redemption in the Ruins of Somalia. St. Martin's Press, 2016.
- Kapteijns, Lidwien. Clan Cleansing in Somalia : the Ruinous Legacy of 1991. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013.
- Shay, Shaul. Somalia in Transition since 2006. Transaction Publishers, 2014.
- Lewis, I. M. A Modern History of the Somali : Nation and State in the Horn of Africa. Ohio University Press, 2002.
- Lewis, I. M. Understanding Somalia and Somaliland: Culture, History, Society. Columbia University Press, 2008.
- Njoku, Raphael Chijioke. The History of Somalia. Greenwood, 2013.
- Pouwels, Randall Lee. Horn and Crescent: Cultural Change and Traditional Islam on the East African Coast, 800-1900. Cambridge University Press, 1987.
- Ghalib, Jama Mohamed. The Cost of Dictatorship : the Somali Experience. L. Barber Press, 1995.
- Menkhaus, Kenneth John. Somalia: State Collapse and the Threat of Terrorism. Oxford University, 2004.
- Williams, Paul D. Fighting for Peace in Somalia: A History and Analysis of the African Union Mission (AMISOM), 2007-2017. Oxford University Press, 2018.
- Diriye Abdullahi, Mohamed. Culture and Customs of Somalia. Greenwood Press, 2001.
- Lewis, I. M. Blood and Bone: The Call of Kinship in Somali Society. Red Sea Press, 1994.
- Little, Peter D. Somalia: Economy without State. Indiana University Press, 2003.
- Maxwell, Daniel G., and Majid, Nisar. Famine in Somalia: Competing Imperatives, Collective Failures, 2011-12. Oxford University Press, 2016.
- Alden, Patricia, and Tremaine, Louis. Nuruddin Farah. Twayne Publishers, 1999.
- Farah, Nuruddin. Hiding in Plain Sight. Riverhead Books, 2014.
- Farah, Nuruddin. North of Dawn. Riverhead Books, 2018.
- Herbert, W. N., and Hussein, Said Jama. So at One with You: An Anthology of Modern Poetry in Somali. Kayd Somali Arts and Culture, 2018.
- Scego, Igiaba and Richards, Jamie. Adua. New Vessel Press, 2017.
- Chait, Sandra M. Seeking Salaam: Ethiopians, Eritreans, and Somalis In the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 2011.
- Chambers, Stefanie. Somalis in the Twin Cities and Columbus: Immigrant Incorporation in New Destinations. Temple University Press, 2017.
- Yusuf, Ahmed Ismail. Somalis in Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2012.