Table of Contents

Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments
Notes on Malagasy Pronunciation

1. Betafo, 1990
2. Royal Authority
3. Negative Authority
4. Character
5. A Brief History of Betafo
6. Anti-Heroic Politics
7. The Trials of Miadana
8. Lost People
9. The Descendants of Rainitamaina
10. It Must Have Gone Something Like This
11. Catastrophe
12. Epilogue

Glossary of Malagasy Terms
Personal Names in Text
Important Places Named in Text
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Promotional Information

An epic account of the power of memory in Madagascar

About the Author

David Graeber is Reader in Anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London. His books include Debt: The First 5000 Years; Direct Action: An Ethnography; and Toward an Anthropological Theory of Value: The False Coin of Our Own Dreams.

Reviews

"Offers fascinating comparative material with other places where the wound of past injustices continues to fester and destroy... A brilliant weaving together of history and the anthropology of participant observation... The style is limpid, funny, and a delight." Maurice Bloch "The political intrigue makes for a compelling narrative. Committed to showing the power of stories, Graeber is very capable of telling a story of his own... a brilliant study in the classic anthropological tradition..." Michael Lambek