Ethiopia: A Post-Cold War African State [Hardcover]

Theodore M. Vestal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0275966100 | ISBN-13: 978-0275966102

Ethiopia, an African nation with close ties to the United States dating from World War II, is a troubled land. When the oppressive Marxist-Leninist dictatorship of the Derg collapsed in 1991, there was hope that a new era might begin for a democratic Ethiopia. However, backed by the U.S., the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front established a government that would not share power. Instead of a transition to democracy, the EPRDF denied opposition parties meaningful participation in elections, violated human rights, and intensified ethnic distrust among the people. According to critics, repressions of the government are on a scale equivalent to those of the world's worst dictatorships. Vestal examines the plight of the Ethiopian people and counters questionable government pronouncements. He concludes with suggestions for a revised U.S. policy toward Ethiopia and for peaceful negotiations between the government and its political opposition to develop a more democratic approach.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The regime that overthrew the hated Derg in 1991 has operated in obscurity through the past decade. Ted Vestal's lucid, knowledgeable, and courageous book reveals the extent to which it is directed by the ethno-leninist orientations of its authoritarian elite. Must reading for all who are interested in human rights and ethnic relations in post-Communist societies.”–Donald N. Levine University of Chicago

“Professor Vestal's work is a significant contribution to a realistic appraisal of contemporary Ethiopian politics. It is an eye opener. I have no doubt that it will be remembered as one of the first exposes of the subtler tyrannies of the post-Cold War world. His keen understanding of the complexities of Ethiopian politics has enabled him to capture what is truly unfolding behind the facade of 'democratization.'”–Shumet Sishagne Professor, Department of History Christopher Newport University

About the Author

THEODORE M. VESTAL is Professor of Political Science at Oklahoma State University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Praeger Publishers (September 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275966100
• ISBN-13: 978-0275966102
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,481,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Theodore M. "Ted" Vestal is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Oklahoma State University, where for twenty years he taught courses on world politics and constitutional law emphasizing civil liberties and civil rights. In 1964-1966 he served as a Peace Corps executive in Ethiopia and has maintained an academic interest in the country ever since. He was President of the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and has served overseas as a director of Peace Corps/Ethiopia, New York's Educational Resources Center in New Delhi, and OSU-Kyoto. Vestal attended the University of North Texas, Yale Law School, and Stanford, where he received a Ph.D. in Political Science. He lives in Tulsa with wife, Patricia, who is an artist, and who taught painting at the Creative Arts Center of Haile Selassie I University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BOOK REVIEW, January 1, 2000

By 

YONAS LIBEN (DALLAS, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ethiopia: A Post-Cold War African State (Hardcover)

IT IS AN EXCELLENT AND EDUCATIONAL BOOK. WELL ANALYSED AND UNBIASED. IT MUST BE READ BY ALL ETHIOPIANS AND THE US STATE DEPT. OFFICIALS. DO YOU HAVE A PLAN TO HAVE IT PRINTED IN PAPER PACK SO THAT MANY ETHIOPIANS CAN BUY THE BOOK AT A CHEAPER PRICE?

5.0 out of 5 stars BOOK REVIEW, January 2, 2000

By 

YONAS LIBEN (DALLAS, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ethiopia: A Post-Cold War African State (Hardcover)

IT IS AN EXCELLENT AND EDUCATIONAL BOOK. WELL ANALYSED AND UNBIASED. IT MUST BE READ BY ALL ETHIOPIANS AND THE US STATE DEPT. OFFICIALS. DO YOU HAVE A PLAN TO HAVE IT PRINTED IN PAPER PACK SO THAT MANY ETHIOPIANS CAN BUY THE BOOK AT A CHEAPER PRICE?