Remapping Ethiopia

While seemingly of interest only to Ethiopianists, the chapters raise fascinating questions concerning interpretations of centre-periphery relations, the practical effects of revolutions, changing ethnic identities and roles of local leadership, and the need for new thinking and frameworks for the history of one of Africa's oldest yet not so old countries. -- B. Harris * CHOICE *
This stimulating volume is a worthy sequel to James's and Donham's Southern Marches of [Imperial] Ethiopia, published almost two decades ago, which carried its pioneering study of centre-periphery relations within the Ethiopian empire up to Haile Selassie's overthrow in 1974 ... . It is impressive in depth as well as in breadth, and must be considered essential reading for anyone concerned with contemporary Ethiopia as well as, to some extent, the wider region. The dissection of Ethiopia for the purposes of closer examination, the remapping of Ethiopian political, social, ethnic and indeed geographical realities, is an exercise which is absolutely necessary - and this is a necessary book - if we are to arrive at a better understanding of what Ethiopia is ... Remapping Ethiopia must proceed immediately onto the reading lists of courses dealing with contemporary north-eastern Africa in universities everywhere, and may be profitably utilized as a signpost for new directions in research across the region. -- Richard Reid * AFRICAN AFFAIRS *
...the editors are to be commended for their work in bringing these essays together. Serious scholars will find much to challenge them and to ponder. -- Charles W. Mcclellan * JOURNAL OF AFRICAN HISTORY *
... an extremely valuable contribution to the study of the history, politics, and the society of modern Ethiopia. - -- Vladimir Shubin * H-NET REVIEWS *