Book recommendations: This one will be difficult!

[Razgovory]

A long time ago, I came across snippets about a group in 17th century Angola.  They were called the "Imbangalas".  They were a rather nasty bunch, existing only for war and plunder.  As a warrior society they known for practices such as infanticide and canabalism.  An interesting facet of their existence is they did not breed. A child born within their camps was killed.  They seemed to replenish their numbers from kidnapping children and forcing them to become soldiers.  I have never been able to find any books about them though.  Or at least solely about them.


Would it be to much to ask if anyone knows of any books on the subject?

[The Brain]

I know nothing.

[CountDeMoney]

Sounds like a really niche topic, probably not much more beyond academic journals.

Instead of tackling it from the subject "Tribes: Colonial Angola, 17th Cent." angle, there may be more readily accessible material on Portuguese colonization of Africa itself.  So maybe look into it from both ends?

[The Brain]

HOTT

[CountDeMoney]

Don't you have something better to do, like releasing radioactive steam into the atmosphere or something?

[The Brain]

Nah.

[Duque de Bragança]

Not if you can read Portuguese. 
Since the Imbangalas fought against an effective, real African queen Nzinga, unlike Cleopatra, you might get some info on them if you are able to find books on Nzinga.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nzinga_of_Ndongo_and_Matamba

Wikipedia suggests
Thomas and Desch-Obi, M and J (2008). Fighting for Honor: The History of African Martial Art Traditions in the Atlantic World. Univ of South Carolina Press. p. 23.

Otherwise, I'd would recommend starting with history books about Congo, Angola or Central/Austral Africa.

[Agelastus]

Christ.

A google search for the term "Imbangalas" brings this thread up on page 7. Only about the fifth or sixth English language result as well.

There's a few articles in the Journal of African history, but they're quite expensive to access for someone with only a passing interest in the subject.

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=AFH

This might be of interest as the text seems to reference a number of Portuguese works on the subject; how's your Portuguese, Raz?

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0101-90742013000100005&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en

This guy seems to be the one most commonly cited as writing articles on or concerning the Imbangala. Unfortunately, I think the book which is quoted as containing "an excellent description of the Imbangalas and their customs" is out of print (and the part concerning the origin of the Imbangalas seems to be being academically challenged as well.)

http://history.virginia.edu/user/44

The book of his I was referring to is Kings and Kinsmen: Early Mbundu States in Angola. Clarendon Press, 1976. Second hand copies do seem to be available though.

Anyway, assuming there's something up there that you haven't come across yourself already Raz, I hope this is helpful.

[Malthus]

Oddly, one of the primary sources for these guys is in English: Hakluytus Posthumus or Purchas his Pilgrimes, contayning a History of the World in Sea Voyages and Lande Travells, by Englishmen and others (4 vols.), (1625). Reprinted in 1905-1907 in 20 volumes.

[Razgovory]

Not if you can read Portuguese. 
Since the Imbangalas fought against an effective, real African queen Nzinga, unlike Cleopatra, you might get some info on them if you are able to find books on Nzinga.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nzinga_of_Ndongo_and_Matamba

Wikipedia suggests
Thomas and Desch-Obi, M and J (2008). Fighting for Honor: The History of African Martial Art Traditions in the Atlantic World. Univ of South Carolina Press. p. 23.

Otherwise, I'd would recommend starting with history books about Congo, Angola or Central/Austral Africa.

It was reading about queen Nzinga (who was quite extraordinary herself), where I found out about them.  I found the them really interesting.  I figured there would be more written in Portuguese since they were the guys who ran into them (and hired them sometimes).

[CountDeMoney]

I figured there would be more written in Portuguese since they were the guys who ran into them (and hired them sometimes).

You're confusing the Portuguese with, well, other colonial powers.

[Razgovory]

I'm confused.