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.
A History of Ethiopia: Updated Edition
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Editorial Reviews
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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Paul H. Thomas, Hoover Inst. Lib., Stanford, Cal.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
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.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
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.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
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.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
hard but good
This is a thorough and excellent history although I do wish it had spent more time on the early Golden age rather than skipping through the good times. Read more
Published 6 months ago by E. Shipp
4.0 out of 5 stars
ethiopian history
Very concise review of ethiopian history which should be read every person who wants to know about ethiopian history or students of african ethiopian history
Published 9 months ago by flulu
5.0 out of 5 stars
Overview of Ethiopian History
If you are reading this review you are looking for books on Ethiopia or African History. This book is well worth the time and money, especially if your goals are as specific as... Read more
Published on April 8, 2011 by Stephen Pellerine
4.0 out of 5 stars
A History of Ethopia Updated Edition
Read by me and some of my grandchildren. We have a new member of our family from Ethiopia.The author is Harold G. Marcus. I'm keeping it in my library.
Published on February 5, 2010 by Texas vol fan
4.0 out of 5 stars
A foundation for learning Ethiopian history
I found the book well-written and well-organized according to significant changes in Ethiopia's development. Read more
Published on March 3, 2007 by James D. Crabtree
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Book
This was the first History book I have read for leisure and I was supprised at how interested I was. A very well written and researched work. Read more
Published on June 29, 2002 by Jon Teysko
2.0 out of 5 stars
The author is biased !
I personally appreciate all writers' accounts about the African history, especially those about the older civilizations like that of Abyssinia, Aoudal (Adal), Ifat (Yifat),... Read more
Published on February 24, 2002 by "turdho"
3.0 out of 5 stars
A decent but often confusing coverage of Ethiopia
I found this book to be helpful as a general resource of information about Ethiopia's history. However, the reading often becomes confusing, most likely because of the lack of a... Read more
Published on October 22, 2000
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ethiopian history every one should read.
Ethiopia history is more than what is written in this book, but I recommend this book for any one interested to know about Ethiopia
Published on October 31, 1999 by wube
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 21
books:
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41
books
cite this book:
See all 41 books citing this book
- Monastic Holy Man and the Christianization of Early Solomonic Ethiopia (Studien zur Kulturkunde) by Steven Kaplan in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- War in the Horn: The Conflict Between Eritrea and Ethiopia (Discussion paper / Royal Institute of International Affairs) by Martin Plaut in Back Matter
- The Ethiopian Transformation: The Quest For The Post-imperial State (Westview Special Studies on Africa) by John W Harbeson in Back Matter
- Ethiopian Revolution by Maxine D. Molyneux in Back Matter
- My Life by Isadora Duncan in Back Matter
See all 21 books this book cites
- The Making of the Oromo Diaspora by Mekuria Bulcha on 4 pages
- Woman between Two Worlds: PORTRAIT OF AN ETHIOPIAN RURAL LEADER by Judith Olmstead in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Democratization in Late Twentieth-Century Africa: Coping with Uncertainty (Contributions in Political Science) by Jean-Germa Gros on page 94, and Back Matter
- The Political Economy of Ethiopia: (SAIS Studies on Africa) by Marina Ottaway on page 90, and Back Matter
- Land and Society in the Christian Kingdom of Ethiopia: From the Thirteenth to the Twentieth Century by Donald Crummey in Back Matter
See all 41 books citing this book
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