Scarred by decades of conflict and occupation, the craggy African nation of Eritrea has weathered the world's longest-running guerrilla war. The dogged determination that secured victory against Ethiopia, its giant neighbor, is woven into the national psyche, the product of a series of cynical foreign interventions. Fascist Italy wanted Eritrea as the springboard for a new, racially pure Roman empire, Britain sold off its industry for scrap, the United States needed a base for its state-of-the-art spy station, and the Soviet Union used it as a pawn in a proxy war.
Michela Wrong reveals the breathtaking abuses this tiny nation has suffered and, with the sharp eye for detail and taste for the incongruous that was the hallmark of her account of Mobutu's Congo, tells the story of colonialism itself. Along the way, we meet a formidable African emperor, a pigheaded English suffragette, and a guerrilla fighter who taught himself French cuisine in the bush.
Michela Wrong tells this devastating but important story with exemplary clarity. The way international power politics can play havoc with a country's destiny gives the story of Eritrea a resonance and a tragic dimension beyond imagining.
About the Author :
Michela Wrong has worked as a foreign correspondent for Reuters, the BBC, and the Financial Times. She has written about Africa for Slate.com and is a frequent commentator on African affairs in the media. Her first book, In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz, won the James Stern Silver Pen Award for Nonfiction. She lives in London.
Review :
"Contemporary history on the grand scale. I was entertained, informed and angered . . . A splendid achievement." - John le Carré
"Contemporary history on the grand scale. I was entertained, informed and angered. Wrong has made another essential contribution to our understanding of the post-colonial scramble for Africa. A splendid achievement." - John le Carré
"Vivid, penetrating, wonderfully detailed. Michela Wrong...has excavated the very heart and soul of the Eritrean people and their country." - Aminatta Forna, author of THE DEVIL THAT DANCED ON WATER
"Engrossing, vividly written in the style of the best thrillers...It should become the standard work on the region." - Anthony Sampson, author of MANDELA: The Authorized Biography
"A gripping political thriller." - Monica Ali, author of BRICK LANE
"Eloquent and impassioned . . . [A] splendid account of modern Eritrean history . . . Scrupulous and honest." - New York Times
"With rich prose and the passion she brings to the subject of the nation's independence . . . Wrong provides a very readable journalistic narrative on Eritrea." - Los Angeles Times
"With rich prose and the passion she brings to the subject of [Eritrea's] independence... Wrong provides a very readable journalistic." - Los Angeles Times
"A brilliant exploration of colonialism, fascism, liberation, and the cruelties of a superpower-driven planet . . . If you want to understand the world as it exists today, in its fullness and in all its complexity . . . I DIDN'T DO IT FOR YOU provides the best starting point." - The Progressive
"If you want to understand the world...I DIDN'T DO IT FOR YOU provides the best starting point." - The Progressive
"Wrong is genuinely impressed with Eritrea as a nation composed of honest, do-it-yourself individuals who deserve to thrive. The book, while clear-eyed about imperfections of Eritreans, is a valentine to a nation abused again and again by outsiders." - Houston Chronicle
"A highly readable, well-researched depiction of the region's serial exploitation by a parade of foreign predators . . . Wrong excels as a storyteller, providing evocative descriptions of Eritrea's dramatic topography and gripping dollops of military history . . . She paints fascinating personal portraits . . . [and] offer[s] enthralling insights into the liberation struggle . . . A rare and convincing review of the policies and motives of Eritrea's colonial masters." - Washington Post Book World
"A highly readable, well-researched depiction of the region's serial exploitation by a parade of foreign predators." - Washington Post Book World
"An engaging read . . . Devastating detail . . . [Wrong] has a keen appreciation for the recurring irony of Africa: that the well-intentioned so often do the most harm . . . This is probably the best book that could be written about Eritrea." - Nation
"An engaging read... Devastating detail... This is probably the best book that could be written about Eritrea." - Nation
"A fascinating and tragic story . . . Wrong's account [is] gripping." - Daily Telegraph (London)
"Wrong's...original research is more illuminating, her eye more observant, her writing far more wry and witty." - The Economist
"[A] gripping story . . . The author's extraordinary grasp of the postcolonial psyche and tormented national identity of this country makes it fascinating." - Publishers Weekly
"Engaging history . . . A vivid story of a nation repeatedly trampled by foreign powers until it won its independence." - New York Times Book Review
