jjares reviewed History of Ethiopia: A Captivating Guide to Ethiopian History (African History) on + 3278 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This book is undoubtedly, for me, the most amazing history of a country. Ethiopia is an ancient country. Let's talk about some elements of the Ethiopia story before the Bible: The Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia) had Solomon's child, who later ruled Ethiopia. Early Ethiopians were Jewish, but later, they were the second country to establish a Christian monarchy (the Ethiopian Orthodox Church).
Because Jerusalem was under the control of the Muslims from 1187 CE, Ethiopian King Lalibela built his sacred pilgrimage site within Ethiopia. If citizens could not reach Jerusalem, the king created a "New Jerusalem" in Ethiopia. According to Ethiopian legend, these eleven stone churches (in Lalibela) were built by angels.
Ethiopian history is full of notable rulers and extraordinary feats. The Ethiopians joined with Portuguese explorers to stop a Muslim onslaught into Ethiopia in 1540. This staved off the disaster of the Ethiopian dynasty. However, all was not well with Ethiopia, and the monarchy dipped into unrest and instability until 1855.
Ethiopia and Italy have a long and awful relationship. It took Ethiopia until World War II to eliminate the Italians from their country. Then, there is the long and fruitful leadership of Haile Selassie before Ethiopia dipped into communism. The last chapter is about the fall of communism and the rise of modern Ethiopia. Unfortunately, the Ethiopian Civil War still rages. This book is a rollercoaster ride, but the author is clear and offers well-written explanations. Fantastic reading.
Because Jerusalem was under the control of the Muslims from 1187 CE, Ethiopian King Lalibela built his sacred pilgrimage site within Ethiopia. If citizens could not reach Jerusalem, the king created a "New Jerusalem" in Ethiopia. According to Ethiopian legend, these eleven stone churches (in Lalibela) were built by angels.
Ethiopian history is full of notable rulers and extraordinary feats. The Ethiopians joined with Portuguese explorers to stop a Muslim onslaught into Ethiopia in 1540. This staved off the disaster of the Ethiopian dynasty. However, all was not well with Ethiopia, and the monarchy dipped into unrest and instability until 1855.
Ethiopia and Italy have a long and awful relationship. It took Ethiopia until World War II to eliminate the Italians from their country. Then, there is the long and fruitful leadership of Haile Selassie before Ethiopia dipped into communism. The last chapter is about the fall of communism and the rise of modern Ethiopia. Unfortunately, the Ethiopian Civil War still rages. This book is a rollercoaster ride, but the author is clear and offers well-written explanations. Fantastic reading.
