Product Description

In this eminently readable, concise history of Ethiopia, Harold Marcus surveys the evolution of the oldest African nation from prehistory to the present. For the updated edition, Marcus has written a new preface, two new chapters, and an epilogue, detailing the development and implications of Ethiopia as a Federal state and the war with Eritrea.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #291739 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 394 pages

From Library Journal
Marcus (history, Michigan State Univ.) has authored several books on Ethiopia, most recently Haile Selassie: The Formative Years 1892-1936 (Univ. of California Pr., 1986). This one, which was eight years in the writing, is his most ambitious because it attempts to cover the entire history of Ethiopia from prehistoric times to the fall of the Mengistu government in 1991, although all but the first 80 pages deal with Ethiopia since its reunification under Menelik in 1889. Marcus views Ethiopian history as a series of cyclical expansions from its component parts to empire and back again; he argues that the idea of the greater Ethiopian nation will always cause the state to reunify despite its current disintegration. Whether or not one agrees with his thesis, this book is such a readable and up-to-date overview of a long and complex history that it is recommended for both academic and large public libraries.
Paul H. Thomas, Hoover Inst. Lib., Stanford, Cal.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"[T]his is a valuable contribution to Ethiopian historiography, which provides a useful and much-needed overview of current knowledge." -- Christopher Clapham, International Journal of African Historical Studies

From the Inside Flap
"A very ambitious work. . . . Its readability will insure a wide audience. . . . Specialists will be alternately outraged, amused, engaged, and challenged."--James McCann, Boston University

Customer Reviews

An Excellent Primer on Ethiopian History
That sums it up: this is an excellent place to start your study of Ethiopian history.

Marcus appears to specialize in Ethiopian history (he has written biographies of Emperors Haille Selassie and Menelik, both available from Amazon.com). But before reading those you might want to read his History of Ethiopia.

Marcus traces the history of this fascinating but mysterious land back to earliest times, and takes it right up to the fall of Mengistu in 1991. Perhaps someday a revision should be done to add events that took place after that, but right now it is too soon; history is still being made in Ethiopia. Most of the book deals with the period after about 1850, but as I said, if you're looking for a good general history filled with facts and details, this is it.

A great Ethiopian history primer.
Marcus does not attempted to create a greatly in depth text here, and the greater portion of tyhe book relates to events after 1850. However, the book serves as an excellent primer. Anyone with even a passing interest in history should enjoy this review of one of the oldest and richest cultural histories in the world.

Comprehensive history of a nation state in crisis
A must for any course work on Ethiopia, and eastern Africa. Combines the approach of narrative history - from the dawn of civilization to recent conflict - with an explanation of the dynamics behind the inherent conflict between unity and autonomy in Ethiopia.