The Survival of Ethiopian Independence

Book excerpt: ?What people say about this book ?Sven Rubenson?s The Survival of Ethiopian Independence, does considerably advance our knowledge. For foreign relations in the first three quarters of the 19th century, which are exhaustively treated in the bulk of the book (P.29-334), it will probably prove nearly definitive. It certainly will become the principle reference work for a very long time to come and is marvelously indexed and abundantly supplied with good maps. Above all the author has set a high standard for all future studies by meticulously removing the European veneer from documents and their interpretation. The International Journal of African Historical StudiesThe questions it raises about the material and psychological pre-conditions for colonial conquest represent a crucial contribution to African history as a whole. West Africa"Sven Rubenson?s The Survival of Ethiopian Independence still remains the most meticulously written analysis of Ethiopian history. No other scholarly work that tries to holistically cover this ancient country comes close to the detail, authority and assiduous research that Sven Rubenson has put into the book. And at this time, when Ethiopian unity and territorial integrity is under constant assault, Tsehai Publishers has made a timely decision to reissue a work that valiantly celebrates the Ethiopian peoples? stubborn resistant to colonialism and the almost mystical martyrdom of its sons and daughters to keep it independent during the last several hundred years."Dr. Paulos Milkias Professor Sven Rubenson?s ?The Survival of Ethiopian Independence? exposes the colonialists? duplicity towards Ethiopia and shows the Ethiopians? unified resistance to the assault on their country?s territorial integrity. Prof. Getachew Haile