8.2 /10 1 Votes
Original title Cesarz Language Polish Media type Print (Paperback) Page count 164 OCLC 19822583 | 4.1/5 Goodreads Country Poland Publication date 1978 Originally published 1978 Genre Non-fiction Publisher Vintage Books | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Translator William R. Brand and Katarzyna Mroczkowska-Brand Similar Ryszard Kapuściński books, Haile Selassie books, Non-fiction books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Emperor: Downfall of an Autocrat, published in 1978, is Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuściński's analysis of the decline and fall of Haile Selassie's regime in Ethiopia. In 1974, while the Ethiopian Army was still busy consolidating power, Kapuściński "traveled to Ethiopia to seek out and interview Selassie's servants and closest associates on how the Emperor had ruled and why he fell." In large part, the book is a study of the workings of a royal court. It is said that this book is intended to be allegorical of the government of Poland, especially Edward Gierek.
Contents
The Throne
Section one focuses on the constitution of Emperor Haile Selassie's imperial court.
It's Coming, It's Coming
Section two focuses on the attempted coup led by Mengistu Neway on December 13, 1960, and its repercussions.
The Collapse
This section focuses on the ultimate downfall of Selassie, featuring an account by his valet, who was the last remaining servant in the Emperor's court. This is followed by two short newspaper articles on the Emperor's last few years of life, which show that he still believed himself to be the true leader of Ethiopia.
Theatre
The Emperor had a world premiere in London's Young Vic on 3 September 2016. The play was well received by the reviewers.