Marieke Brandt is Senior Researcher at the Institute for Social Anthropology at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna. She is the author of The Tale of a Feud: Domination, Resistance, and Agency in Highland Yemen.
'Remarkable.'
‘An excellent book . . . an indispensable read to anyone with an
interest in Yemeni politics, both past and present.’
'This excellent study explains just why the Houthi movement has won
so much popular support. It also situates the movement in its
geographic context and makes clear its complex relations with the
other states in the region.'
*Morning Star*
'Brandt . . . has delved deeply into the emergence and evolution of
the Houthi phenomenon and explains in extensive detail the
entangled and incredibly complex roots of the conflict . . . she
has done so thoroughly, convincingly and admirably . . . . an
invaluable glimpse into the complexity of Yemeni society and
politics.'
'As a writer and researcher on Yemen, this is the book I've been
waiting for. A thorough, painstakingly assembled account of the
rise of one of the world's least understood rebel groups - it makes
for a riveting read. This is an indispensable addition to the pool
of knowledge on Yemen and a must read for everyone who wants to
understand why we are here today.'
*Peter Salisbury, Senior Research Fellow, Middle East and North
Africa Programme, Chatham House*
'The most detailed and comprehensive analysis to date of the Houthi
conflict in Yemen, providing critical insights into the rise of the
Houthis as a national movement and how a local conflict
metastasized into a regional one. Published as the Saudi-led
"Operation Decisive Storm" is still in full swing, this long
overdue and well-researched book will help readers understand how
Yemen became a laboratory for new wars in the Middle East.'
*Gabriele vom Bruck, Senior Lecturer at School of Oriental and
African Studies; author of Islam, Memory and Morality in Yemen:
Ruling Families in Transition*
'Marieke Brandt's book is a fascinating piece of ethnography and
history. Through exceptional fieldwork in the northern highlands of
Yemen, it explores the minute details and roots of a political and
religious phenomenon that remains fundamental to our understanding
of the contemporary Arabian Peninsula.'
*Laurent Bonnefoy, researcher at the CERI/Sciences Po, author of
Salafism in Yemen: Transnationalism and Religious Identity*
‘This book provides a deep and comprehensive insight into the
complex “Houthi conflict” by studying its political, tribal and
personal dynamics. Brandt pays great attention to the wide spectrum
of local causes that explain the conflict’s onset, persistence, and
expansion on the basis of a “bottom-up” social anthropological
approach.’
*Horst Kopp, former professor at University of Erlangen-Nuremberg;
researcher on the urban and rural geography of Yemen*
'Brandt's detailed, even intimate, analysis of the Houthi
movement's history, internal social dynamics and relations with
local and regional actors is essential reading for understanding
its current and prospective role in Yemen's politics. Beyond Yemen,
the book demonstrates the importance of anthropological analysis in
explaining local and national politics.'
*Helen Lackner, Research Associate at London Middle East Institute,
School of Oriental and African Studies; author of Yemen in Crisis:
Autocracy, Neo-Liberalism and the Disintegration of a State*
![]() |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
![]() |