Haile Selassie, King of Kings, Elect of God, Lion of Judah, His Most Puissant Majesty and Distinguished Highness the Emperor of Ethiopia, reigned from. The Emperor has ratings and reviews. Rowena said: A star rating perhaps. This book contains accounts from those close to Ethiopia’s last em. Kapuscinski visited Ethiopia in , after the revolution which toppled Haile In The Emperor (Polish Cesarz) he worked their stories together, with some direct.
Author: | Kigazshura Migar |
Country: | Sao Tome and Principe |
Language: | English (Spanish) |
Genre: | Video |
Published (Last): | 17 October 2004 |
Pages: | 449 |
PDF File Size: | 10.20 Mb |
ePub File Size: | 5.59 Mb |
ISBN: | 455-8-52025-914-9 |
Downloads: | 17313 |
Price: | Free* [*Free Regsitration Required] |
Uploader: | Kimuro |
An antediluvian social stucture showcases the raw exercise of power at its stripped-down worst, absent any modern guile. Fantastical story of the life and fall of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. Feb 22, Donna Kirk marked it as to-read.
Follow the Author
The approach, that of relying upon interviews with former palace insiders, would be incredibly effective were it not for the fact that the author decided to embellish their descriptions. How much of this is actually Selassie and how much is carefully picked in order to make fun of Stalin or Khrushchev or even Gomulka is up for debate, but that’s exactly what makes this book a masterpiece: Only of their number are believed to remain today.
His step is solemn: Here are a few things to think about before and while reading this book After reading this book, I am thoroughly displeased with Mr. The Kapudcinski is so powerful that when he elevates someone to a new position, he changes their body language completely: That would only make it more ridiculous.
Kadare to critique autocracy in genera,l as in general most dictatorships are the same wh The Emperor is a bizarre and at time grotesquely comic portrait of the last Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie.
There’s a problem loading this menu right now. For years I had heard what a wonderful writer Kapuscinski was but to me this book was a let down. The downfall of autocracies seems kapuscisnki follow the same painful pattern they have for thousands of years.
I feel that someone like Emperor Selassie and roads are named after him all around Africa after all is deserving of a more factual, in-depth, properly-documented account. As a portrait of ossified and ritualised autocracy, however, with layers of bureaucracy preventing information reaching the centre or action being carried out, The Emperor is hard to put down and hard to forget.
This book was a gift to me from a friend who is a former Guardian journalist. The reason I give this book a rating of two stars, and not less which I feel it deserves is that some of the accounts are obviously true. There is something about each of these images that causes the reader to pause and think, and remember them afterwards. I had to walk among the dignitaries and wipe the urine from their shoes with a satin cloth. I often wondered what the atmosphere would have been like in Selassie’s final years as Emperor of Ethiopia, what factors led to the decay of his empire and the methods taken to kapuscinsli him.
The Emperor
Kapuscinski is undoubtedly the most reliable journalist of the central Africa experience. The author interviews courtiers, associates and servants of the Emperor Haile Selassie in the months just after his dethronement. Set up a giveaway. Also, according to those in the know, a winking satire of Communist bureaucratic wrangling! The Emperor is a bizarre and at time grotesquely comic portrait of the last Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie.
Set up the throne and roll out the carpet? Published March 13th by Vintage first published The Supreme Master of Kapuscinsi Ceremony appeared on the balcony and asked them to move to the rear of the ekperor, where His Magnanimous Highness would shower them with money.
The Emperor by Ryszard Kapuściński
The focus remains on the court, however, which turned in upon itself and became increasingly disconnected from society. Mar 15, Sam rated it it was amazing Shelves: Having confirmed this truth by a moment of silence, the conversation changed its direction and moved on to a different subject, a trivial, second-rate, second-hand subject.
It really helped me to see the country from a different perspective. Apr 13, Hadrian rated it liked emperir Shelves: Fascinating book – an oral history of the last days of Haile Selassie’s empire told by his palace servants.
Lists with This Book. The book does not mention is earnest Emperor Haile Selassie I’s accomplishments. Amazon Rapids Fun stories empperor kids on the go.
This is a deplorable act of biased journalism, kapuuscinski targeting a great world leader. Want to Read saving…. And by the end of the book, you understand how the King of Kings was destroyed by the monster he created.