A History of Ethiopia [Paperback]

Harold G. Marcus (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0520202473 | ISBN-13: 978-0520202474 | Publication Date: October 30, 1995

In this readable and concise history of Ethiopia, Harold Marcus surveys the evolution of the oldest African nation from prehistory to the present. Based on a thorough reading of post-World War II scholarship, Marcus demonstrates that there is more to Ethiopia's existence than the ambitions of any one group. While Ethiopia has from time to time separated into component parts, it has never disappeared as an idea and has always reappeared in fact. Marcus concludes that now, as in the past, geography, economics, and culture will, in the end, prevail in uniting Ethiopia's diverse peoples against the forces of ethnic and religious factionalization.

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.

Review

"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. . . . A readable and up-to-date overview of a long and complex history."--Paul H. Thomas, "Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 277 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (October 30, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520202473
• ISBN-13: 978-0520202474
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #470,215 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > History > Africa > Ethiopia

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Primer on Ethiopian History, June 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of Ethiopia (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:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great Ethiopian history primer., October 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of Ethiopia (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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A foundation for learning Ethiopian history, March 3, 2007

By 

James D. Crabtree "Doc Crabtree" (Fort Leavenworth, Kansas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A History of Ethiopia Updated Edition (Paperback)

I found the book well-written and well-organized according to significant changes in Ethiopia's development. Economics, as well as politics, ethnology and technology are used to explain events and their significance. One thing that did annoy me is the fact that historic maps are all located together in the back, rather than in the sections in which they are relevent. The use of some of the Ethiopian titles of nobility is also confusing, when European equivalents would have done just as well.

Not a casual read by any means, but a serious student of African history could do much worse than Marcus' book.