 "Interesting if not gripping" | 2008-07-29 |
| - Reviewed By User: ASKZ82L9OE9RU |
An oral biography of Haile Selassie's reign. Not really a page-turner, but it's fascinating listening to all these people who used to work in his palace double-speaking about him; they're still scared to say anything negative about him, so they say things like "Stupid peasants! Can't they see that by not giving them food, His Ineffable Highness was encouraging them to focus on the simple joys of life?"
Worth reading if you're interested in His Ineffable Majesty. Short, too. |
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 "Deap Observation" | 2008-02-11 |
| - Reviewed By deadlytruthz |
| A great insight to a problematic past through the eyes of the directly effected. Selassie is seen as a God to some and an evil man by many, you can see both sides through these stories of real people who lived in Ethiopia during his reign. |
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| "Insight into the imperial palace" | 2007-11-06 |
| - Reviewed By csii |
This book reminds me of two novels I have read, Autumn of the Patriarch by G. G. Marquez, and Rene Leys by Victor Segalen. They both are about the labyrinthine palaces of out of touch emperors, a sort of politics mixed with overtones of Gormenghast. The Emperor is not a novel, however, it is reportage -- the author was a Polish foreign correspondent who interviewed the palace attendants of Selassie after the Emperor had been deposed. It makes Selassie out to be a idealistic but somewhat corrupt aristocrat who was simply too tired to put up a fight against what became the savage Mengistu regime.
I would differ from the other two reviews in different ways. First I wanted to say that even though he is critical, the author is in some ways sympathetic to Selassie. He realizes that at the beginning Selassie was a force for good. And I think saying that "if enlightenment means killing 50,000+ citizens of your own nation, I am again grateful that we in America have not yet had an 'enlightened' leader...." is sort of missing the fact that we've had leaders recently who have killed over ten times that many people, though they are citizens of other nations.
But the other review is nationalistic and doesn't engage the book at all. I know that after the Derg and then Meles, many Ethiopians look back to Selassie as a "Golden Age" ruler -- and that is a useful myth. But although I think that there are probably some fanciful parts of the book, as far as I can tell this is mostly based on real interviews. Selassie was not a perfect ruler, and you can't criticize a foreign reporter for not buying into a nationalist myth. |
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 "Haile Selassie" | 2007-10-11 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1H4DHVZKKD22Q |
| I am amazed at how misguiding and angry the previous review is. It is well known that Haile Selassie being the leader of a non-aligned country, an anti-colonial advocate and a denouncer of the injustice of western nations perpetrated against third world nations was a victim of an intense propaganda by those nations. Books based on idiotic rumors and hearsays were written by people who are in no way related with this part of history. No world leader was more enlightened than Haile Selassie who was even awarded the title of Prince of Peace by the international orthodox church. Haile Selassie has not only abolished slavery in Ethiopia, but is the inspiration behind the organization of African Unity through which He helped resolve many African conflicts. This is just a few of His achievements and I would recommend the following books for a more intelligent look into his life: "The Mission", "Selected Speeches", "Le dernier Roi des Rois". I will end with this quote from "The Mission": "In the eyes of many today, his image appears blurred, but the most striking characteristic of Western public opinion, where the person of Haile Sellassie is concerned, is ignorance..." |
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| "Excellent Book about Sallasie..." | 2007-07-05 |
| - Reviewed By mcphalex |
| I purchased this volume seeking some insight into the origination of the Rastafarie religion from Ethiopia but learned nothing on that topic. What Kapuscinski did teach me was well worth the read, engrossing, captivating and intense. This is the story of Hallie Sallasie and his almost 40 years in power. The story is told through the mouths and eyes of various courtiers and sycophants of his and his kingdom - all as they realize that he is not in fact the "one God" but rather a real person with real failings. It is a read that can't be put down and I would advise buying more than 1 copy since you will invariably give a copy away to a dear friend. Those who imagine that Hallie Sallasie was "enlightened" would do well to read this documentary novel of a very scared, very intense, very faithful man who killed every one who opposed or disagreed with him. If enlightenment means killing 50,000+ citizens of your own nation, I am again grateful that we in America have not yet had an "enlightened" leader.... |
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| "Fascinating Peek into Palace Intrigue" | 2007-03-27 |
| - Reviewed By marc_in_durham |
| The Emperor is a speed-read glimpse into the palace intrigue and daily life at the court of Haile Selassie (King of Kings, Elect of God, Lion of Judah). It takes place over the last years of Selassie's reign, and is in effect an oral history by the people who lived in the palace. Kapuscinski supplies just enough historical context to barely stitch the stories together into a cohesive whole. One is left with the feeling of having been there, of having witnessed the end of the reign and the end of an era for Ethiopia, for Africa, and for world politics. For all of Kapuscinski's hands-off style, he clearly has an opinion and argues it deftly. The 80-year-old emperor appears to us out of touch with his people, his country, and the age of things in the world. He lives in unimaginable luxury while thousands starve at the hands of the greedy nobles. He governs a vast country in a micomanagement style that has him authorizing any purchase with government funds over $10. Perhaps the clearest picture is the capricious autocracy with which he governs has all other government figures so focused on currying favor that they can't see the wretched starvation just outside their windows. All court employees, including the emperor's pillow-man, who's job is it to select just the right pillow to place under the emperor's feet so his little legs don't dangle from whatever throne he happens to be occupying, see themselves as indispensable to the governing of the country. Our final view of Selassie, being taken from the palace by the Derg officers who overthrew him, and caring only that he's being taken in a Volswagen rather than a limousine puts the final curlicue on a the picture Kapuscinski has been painting from the first page. |
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| "Uncanny observations" | 2007-03-26 |
| - Reviewed By cieszkowski |
| Kapuscinski has a knack for describing both the geographic landscape and the human condition in such a way that you can visualize it. He has a keen eye and mind for observation and analysis. All his books should be compulsory reading for anybody and everybody involved in any kind of aid activity in the third world - government agencies or charities. |
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| "Excellent work" | 2003-04-21 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| Great work with very vivid descriptions of the Haile Sellasie's times and downfall.Can be enjoyed by readers with little or no familiarity with Ethiopia just as well as those who are well versed with Ethiopian history. |
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| "A Rare Insiders Look" | 2002-09-10 |
| - Reviewed By davelazar |
| A series of spellbinding interviews of palace insiders that collectively defines the genius and folly of Haille Selassie's 45-year autocratic rule of Ethiopia |
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| "Read five pages of any Kapuscinski book..." | 2002-05-30 |
| - Reviewed By lefaucondemalte |
| ...and I dare you to put it down. I picked up Shah of Shah's while studying Iran. Shah of Shah's has almost nothing to do with Iran (except to provide a political backdrop). Like The Emperor, it is a horrifying and comical study of outrageous personalities and those who serve them. Kapuscinski's writing is so unique, so compelling. His view of history makes for some powerful storytelling. |
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