A history of the gypsies, examining the ways they have preserved a distinct
heritage and culture that transcends national boundaries. Opening with a study
of gypsy origins, the book traces their migration through the early Middle Ages
to the present, through the Middle East, Europe and the world.Since their unexplained appearance in Europe over nine centuries ago, the
gypsies have refused to fall in with conventional settled life. They remain a
people whose culture and customs are beset with misunderstanding, and who cling
to their distinct identity in the teeth of persistent rejection and pressure to
conform. This book describes their history. The book opens with an
investigation of gypsy origins in India. The author then traces the gypsy
migration from the early Middle Ages to the present, through the Middle East,
Europe and the world. Throughout their known history they have been renowned
for their music, metal working, fortune-telling, healing and horse-dealing; but
from the outset they outraged the prejudices of the populations they
encountered: they were enslaved, harrassed, outlawed and hunted. Yet against
all the odds the gypsies have survived, preserving a distinctive heritage and
culture that transcends national boundaries. How they did so is the compelling
theme of this book.; This new paperback edition has been revised to take account of recent
research and of the political changes in Eastern Europe, which have sadly been
followed by a resurgence of Gypsy persecution in a number of countries.
