King of Kings
The Triumph and Tragedy of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Asfa-Wossen Asserate author Peter Lewis translator
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Haus Publishing
Published:3rd Mar '17
Should be back in stock very soon
Haile Salassie, the scion of a dynasty that was reputed to descend from King Soloman, was a pioneer of African unity and independence, a staunch confederate of the Allies in their fight against the fascist Axis powers and the messiah of the Jamaican Rastafarian movement. A reformer and an autocracy, his rule was brought to a brutal and ignominious end when he was toppled and and murdered by communist rebels.
Asfa-Wossen Asserate – a close descendant, who knew the Emperor personally – for the first time brings clarity to the life of this impressive and complex personality. King of Kings is the story of the most eminent African ruler of the 20th century and the country he ruled through both stirring and tragic times.
‘This magnificent biography by the German-Ethiopian historian Asfa-Wossen Asserate ... is diligently researched and fair-minded; Haile Salassie is at last accorded a proper dignity. The book is manifestly a riposte to Ryszard Kapuscinski's The Emperor’
-- The Guardian‘An even-handed account of Haile Selassie’s successful autocracy is that precious thing: an African history written by an insider.’
-- Spectator‘Asserate crafts a biography of the late Ethiopian emperor that combines personal moments with a reasonably objective view of the man.’
-- Publishers Weekly‘This is a thorough and in-depth view of the last Emperor of Ethiopia, told from the unique vantage point of his great-nephew.’
-- Foreword Reviews‘Asfa-Wossen biography is not just a portrait of Hailselassie, but the story of the 20th century – its upheavals, promises and terrors. ’
-- Ethiopia Observer‘The impressive, dazzling and complex personality of Haile Salassie, King of Kings and Conquering Lion, is conveyed in this biographical portrait’
-- New African‘King of Kings is full of captivating details that only an insider could share; it is with great poise and warmth for the enigmatic leader while at the same time cognizant of the swelling unhappiness and criticism the Emperor faced from his own people impatient with the pace of change.’
-- Tadias MagaISBN: 9781910376645
Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 26mm
Weight: 482g
428 pages