I wouldn't have met Piti if it hadn't been for a chichigua. To translate chichigua as a kite does not do justice to these beautiful creations of...
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Horne wrote a thorough history of the infamous "war without name," and does a solid job at looking at all sides of the conflict, from the OAS to the French government to the FLN. His prose and fascinating character profiles make this an eminently readable, clearly written work. He argues that had the French better handled key moments--even as late as 1958--then not only would the war have been far less brutal, but French ties could have been maintained such that "decolonization" (independent Algeria's fundamental break from France, and the massive flight of Algeria's European and pro-European population) need not ever have occurred. While it adds a level of narrative poignance, it's also a provactive idea Fanon would have bristled at, and through his argument Horne makes light of the fact France's entire occupation was predicated on violence, racism, and oppression. Additionally, he makes some racial generalizations that make the twenty-first century reader wince--referring to the "stoicism of the Algerian temperment," for example. Nonetheless, this is an important read: without being at all reductive, it's a great introductory work to one of the most fascinating and absurdist moments in history.
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A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 (New York Review Books Classics) by Alistair Horne
Liz Fink, July 26, 2007
Horne wrote a thorough history of the infamous "war without name," and does a solid job at looking at all sides of the conflict, from the OAS to the French government to the FLN. His prose and fascinating character profiles make this an eminently readable, clearly written work. He argues that had the French better handled key moments--even as late as 1958--then not only would the war have been far less brutal, but French ties could have been maintained such that "decolonization" (independent Algeria's fundamental break from France, and the massive flight of Algeria's European and pro-European population) need not ever have occurred. While it adds a level of narrative poignance, it's also a provactive idea Fanon would have bristled at, and through his argument Horne makes light of the fact France's entire occupation was predicated on violence, racism, and oppression. Additionally, he makes some racial generalizations that make the twenty-first century reader wince--referring to the "stoicism of the Algerian temperment," for example. Nonetheless, this is an important read: without being at all reductive, it's a great introductory work to one of the most fascinating and absurdist moments in history.(7 of 15 readers found this comment helpful)