The power of the nomad

Mr Sattin is a fluent and evocative writer so this book is extremely readable, informative and definitely worth the price

Nomads: The Wanderers Who Shaped Our World

Author: Anthony Sattin

Publisher: Hachette

Pages: 357

Price: Rs 799

As staunch nationalism congeals into violent xenophobia, travel writer Anthony Sattin offers a thought-provoking look at a counterfactual past. His book presents a less noticed alternative to the conventional story of civilisation that posits a linear projection of the ascent of man from hunter gatherers to the ultra-sapient beings of the 21st century. This self-congratulatory narrative that puts man (principally the white man) at the centre of human progress is being increasingly challenged by a host of thoughtful writers from Yuval Noah Harari to Amitav Ghosh, as