# Books about Somalis, 1960 to 1990: history and research in the Republic years > Key books on Somali history, society and politics published 1960 to 1990: Lewis, Andrzejewski, Touval, Hess, Laitin, Cassanelli, Samatar. Source page: https://calankii.com/en/history/books-about-somalis-1960-1990/ Last checked: 2026-11-12 Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com) ## What these books are From independence in 1960, history and anthropology of the Somali grew into a field of its own. The Somali Studies International Association was launched in November 1978 and held its first congress in Mogadishu from 6 to 13 July 1980 ([Somali studies, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_studies); [SSIA at Somali National University](https://events.snu.edu.so/ssia/about/)). The books of this period fall into a few groups: - **Society and clan.** I. M. Lewis's A Pastoral Democracy (1961) became a standard English-language study of northern pastoral society ([Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/pastoraldemocrac0000lewi)). His general history has its own page: [A Modern History of the Somali](/en/history/a-modern-history-of-the-somali/). - **Borders and nationalism.** Saadia Touval (1963) and John Drysdale (1964) wrote on the drive to unite all Somali territories and the disputes with Ethiopia and Kenya. - **History before colonial rule.** Lee Cassanelli's The Shaping of Somali Society (1982) rebuilt the history of the south from oral sources ([Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/shapingofsomalis0000cass)). - **Language and poetry.** Andrzejewski and Lewis's Somali Poetry (1964) and David Laitin's study of the 1972 script decision (1977) ([Somali written, 1972](/en/history/somali-language-written-1972/)). - **The Republic.** Laitin and [Said Samatar](/en/people/said-samatar/) (1987), [Ahmed Samatar](/en/people/ahmed-samatar/) (1988) and [Abdi Samatar](/en/people/abdi-samatar/) (1989) wrote on the state, the economy and the military government. See also [The Siad Barre era](/en/history/siad-barre-era-1969-1991/). ## The books, oldest first ### A Pastoral Democracy (1961) **Ioan M. Lewis** · English Pastoralism, politics and clan among the northern Somali. Where to read: [Full page on this book](/en/books/a-pastoral-democracy-lewis/) · [Read free on Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/pastoraldemocrac0000imle) · [HathiTrust](https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006009916) · [Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL135977W) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=A+Pastoral+Democracy+Ioan+M.+Lewis) ### Somali Nationalism (1963) **Saadia Touval** · English International politics and the drive to unite all Somali territories. Where to read: [Read free on Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/touvalsomalinati0000unse) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=Somali+Nationalism+Saadia+Touval) ### Somali Poetry: An Introduction (1964) **B. W. Andrzejewski & I. M. Lewis** · English Somali poems with translations and an introduction to forms and poets. Where to read: [Read free on Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/somalipoetryintr0000unse) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=Somali+Poetry%3A+An+Introduction+B.+W.+Andrzejewski) ### The Somali Dispute (1964) **John Drysdale** · English The territorial disputes with Ethiopia and Kenya after 1960. Where to read: [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=The+Somali+Dispute+John+Drysdale) ### The Modern History of Somaliland (later A Modern History of the Somali) (1965) **Ioan M. Lewis** · English Standard English-language history from the 19th century, updated in 1980, 2002 and 2003. Where to read: [Full page on this book](/en/history/a-modern-history-of-the-somali/) · [Read free on Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/modernhistoryofs0000imle) · [HathiTrust](https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/003567302) · [Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL20540538W) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=The+Modern+History+of+Somaliland+Ioan+M.+Lewis) ### Italian Colonialism in Somalia (1966) **Robert L. Hess** · English Italian rule from the 1880s to 1941. Where to read: [Read free on Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/italiancoloniali0000robe) · [HathiTrust](https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001609754) · [Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL6586663W) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=Italian+Colonialism+in+Somalia+Robert+L.+Hess) ### L'Italia nel Benadir (1966) **Giuseppina Finazzo** · Italian Italian action on the Banaadir coast in the late 19th century. Where to read: [Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL12216172W) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=L%27Italia+nel+Benadir+Giuseppina+Finazzo) ### Heelloy: Modern Poetry and Songs of the Somali (1974 (rev. 1996)) **John William Johnson** · English The rise of heello songs and modern poetry from the 1940s. Where to read: [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=Heelloy%3A+Modern+Poetry+and+Songs+of+the+Somali+John+William+Johnson) ### Historical Dictionary of Somalia (1975) **Margaret Castagno** · English First edition of the reference dictionary of people, places and events (Scarecrow Press). Where to read: [Read free on Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio0000cast) · [Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL7090939W) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=Historical+Dictionary+of+Somalia+Margaret+Castagno) ### Politics, Language, and Thought: The Somali Experience (1977) **David D. Laitin** · English The 1972 decision to write Somali and its political effects. Where to read: [Full page on this book](/en/books/politics-language-and-thought-laitin/) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=Politics%2C+Language%2C+and+Thought%3A+The+Somali+Experience+David+D.+Laitin) ### Mohamed Abdulle Hassan (1979) **Nicole Lécuyer-Samantar** · French Short biography of the Sayyid in a French series on African figures. Where to read: [Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL6601620W) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=Mohamed+Abdulle+Hassan+Nicole+L%C3%A9cuyer-Samantar) ### Somalia and the World (1980) **Hussein Mohamed Adam (ed.)** · English Proceedings of the international symposium held in Mogadishu in 1979. Where to read: [Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL22678096W) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=Somalia+and+the+World+Hussein+Mohamed+Adam) ### The Shaping of Somali Society: Reconstructing the History of a Pastoral People, 1600-1900 (1982) **Lee V. Cassanelli** · English Southern Somali history from oral sources: the Ajuran, the [Geledi](/en/history/geledi-sultanate/) and the Banaadir coast. Where to read: [Full page on this book](/en/books/the-shaping-of-somali-society-cassanelli/) · [Read free on Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/shapingofsomalis0000cass) · [HathiTrust](https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000103579) · [Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL6091618W) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=The+Shaping+of+Somali+Society%3A+Reconstructing+the+History+of+a+Pastoral+People%2C+1600-1900+Lee+V.+Cassanelli) ### Oral Poetry and Somali Nationalism: The Case of Sayyid Mahammad Abdille Hasan (1982) **Said S. Samatar** · English The Sayyid's poetry and how it carried the Dervish movement. Where to read: [Full page on this book](/en/books/oral-poetry-and-somali-nationalism-samatar/) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=Oral+Poetry+and+Somali+Nationalism%3A+The+Case+of+Sayyid+Mahammad+Abdille+Hasan+Said+S.+Samatar) ### Somalia: Nation in Search of a State (1987) **David D. Laitin & Said S. Samatar** · English Overview of Somali history, society and the Barre state. Where to read: [Read free on Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/somalianationins0000lait) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=Somalia%3A+Nation+in+Search+of+a+State+David+D.+Laitin) ### Socialist Somalia: Rhetoric and Reality (1988) **Ahmed I. Samatar** · English The Barre government's 'scientific socialism' in practice. Where to read: [Read free on Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/socialistsomalia00sama) · [Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL4628690W) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=Socialist+Somalia%3A+Rhetoric+and+Reality+Ahmed+I.+Samatar) ### The State and Rural Transformation in Northern Somalia, 1884-1986 (1989) **Abdi Ismail Samatar** · English Colonial and post-colonial economy of the north. Where to read: [Read free on Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/stateruraltransf0000sama) · [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=The+State+and+Rural+Transformation+in+Northern+Somalia%2C+1884-1986+Abdi+Ismail+Samatar) ### Somalia: A Government at War with Its Own People (1990) **Africa Watch** · English Human rights report on the 1988-1989 war in the north. Where to read: [Find in a library (WorldCat)](https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=Somalia%3A+A+Government+at+War+with+Its+Own+People+Africa+Watch) ## Related pages - [Books about Somalis, 1960 to 1990](/en/history/books-about-somalis-1960-1990/) - [Books about Somalis, 1991 to 2005](/en/history/books-about-somalis-1991-2005/) - [Books about Somalis since 2006](/en/history/books-about-somalis-since-2006/) - [Somali authors and their books](/en/society/somali-authors-and-their-books/) - [Books about Somalis: every era](/en/history/books-about-somalis/) --- I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.