Review by Choice Review
This monograph by Burr (a former State Department official) and Collins (emer. Yale Africanist) concentrates more on external than internal influences within the 1990s Islamist military government of Sudan. The authors try to focus on the role of Hasan al-Turabi, the charismatic theorist and leader within the coup-established theocratic state. Inevitably, though, Turabi had to share the story with Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the coup leader-president of Sudan who eventually destroyed Turabi's influence. Throughout the decade Turabi tried to establish an international foundation for an Islamic revival in the region. He was effective with urban intellectuals, bureaucrats, and an array of radical Islamists but was no popular leader. His personality opened doors to relations with a variety of regional players, including extensive economic support from Osama bin Laden. Curiously, a plethora of detail on the foreign policy of Sudan overwhelms insight into Turabi's personality. He is missing from large chunks of the tale. Because Sudan was a "terrorist state" that harbored many terrorist movements, the book gives intriguing insights into the influences and interactions of key terrorists, not the least of which is bin Laden. A useful volume for those interested in regional politics, diplomacy, and terrorism in the 1990s. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. R. M. Fulton Northwest Missouri State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
