A review by kjcharles
The Barefoot Emperor: An Ethiopian Tragedy by Philip Marsden
A peculiar chapter in history: the calamitous reign of a unifying Ethiopian emperor who was also a raging psychotic, and the increasing calamity of the British effort to rescue hostages from him (which could probably have been achieved without bloodshed by not being arrogant jerks in the first place, and isn't that the story of empire).
Some great vignettes of unexpected characters, especially the British Indian representative Rassam who is the closest thing to a hero of the story, and the 6'6 ginger Ethiopia-phile Captain Speedy. We don't get much of a sense of Tewodros as a person after his rise to power but given he was barking mad and horrifically murderous, that's possibly a good thing. There is enough to give a sense of the national unifier who could have achieved far more.
Well told, but one of those histories that makes you feel rather bleak about humanity.
Some great vignettes of unexpected characters, especially the British Indian representative Rassam who is the closest thing to a hero of the story, and the 6'6 ginger Ethiopia-phile Captain Speedy. We don't get much of a sense of Tewodros as a person after his rise to power but given he was barking mad and horrifically murderous, that's possibly a good thing. There is enough to give a sense of the national unifier who could have achieved far more.
Well told, but one of those histories that makes you feel rather bleak about humanity.