This slim volume is a fascinating read. The author provides a rich and finely detailed timeline of South Sudan's historic resistance to alien rule. The chronology and research is meticulous as the author maps out the attempts to own this land and control its people by an array of foreign powers - from the 1800s onwards. The depiction of the enslavement so many southern tribes faced by their northern neighbours - before foreigners arrived - is enlightening and poignant. There is a growing list of books on South Sudan that tells its history 'from below', the writers narrating from a combination of personal, family and cultural experiences. This book deserves a special place amongst them.