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.


Christopher Clapham, International Journal of African Historical Studies
"[T]his is a valuable contribution to Ethiopian historiography, which provides a useful and much-needed overview of current knowledge."


Book Description
In this eminently readable, concise history of Ethiopia, Harold Marcus surveys the evolution of the oldest African nation from prehistory to the present. For the updated edition, Marcus has written a new preface, two new chapters, and an epilogue, detailing the development and implications of Ethiopia as a Federal state and the war with Eritrea.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

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.

SYNOPSIS

In this eminently readable, concise history of Ethiopia, Harold Marcus surveys the evolution of the oldest African nation from prehistory to the present. For the updated edition, Marcus has written a new preface, two new chapters, and an epilogue, detailing the development and implications of Ethiopia as a Federal state and the war with Eritrea.

Author Biography: Harold G. Marcus is Professor of History and African Studies at Michigan State University. He is the author of Haile Sellassie I: The Formative Years, 1892￯﾿ﾽ1936 (California, 1986), Ethiopia, Great Britain, and the United States, 1941￯﾿ﾽ1974: The Politics of Empire (California, 1983) and The Life and Times of Menelik II: Ethiopia 1844￯﾿ﾽ1916 (1975).

FROM THE CRITICS

Christopher Clapham

That a country with Ethiopia's historical record should have been so neglected is astonishing, and Harold Marcus is to be congratulated on taking up the challenge...this is a valuable contribution to Ethiopian historiography, which provides a useful and much-needed overview of current knowledge.

Gebru Tareke

With remarkable precision and a sensible balance, Marcus has described the multiple and often contradictory and intersecting forces that have molded Ethiopia's rugged history. In his ambitious attempt to give a comprehensive account, he has paid considerable attention to broader social, economic, and cultural developments... Marcus has given us a concise yet complete overview of Ethiopia's history.

Library Journal