The Expedition to Magdala of 1867-1868 was a memorable event in British Military history of warfare in general, and in the history of Ethiopia. Meticulously planned and executed, the campaign was a triumph for its commander, Sir Robert Napier. It was notable for the use of Elephants imported from India, the building of a port railway and the use of breech-loading rifles, the first time they employed in War.

"Although many of the works on show in the exhibition catalogued in this superb publication appeared at the time in the Illustrated London News, for most readers this will be their first opportunity to see them in colour. Indeed, several of the sketches have never before been published in their original form ? notably William Simpson?s drawing of Prince Alemayehou, which was executed only a few days after the death of his father, the Emperor Tewedros, and of whom very few images have been handed down to us. Readers are also treated to a number of fascinating tidbits, such as the methods practiced by publishers? studio staff to enhance landscape sketches with the addition of human figures, and many will be intrigued to learn of the ?cut and paste? origins of the graphic cover used to illustrate John Pridham?s musical composition commemorating the battle.Professors Pankhurst and Northrup are to be congratulated not only for a succinct and readable presentation of the historical background, but for their insight into the relationship between Ethiopia and the outside world prevailing in the mid-19th century. Whereas previous writers have tended to portray events leading up to the ?Abyssinian difficulty? through European eyes; the reader can now begin to see them in the Ethiopian context. It is a sad irony that it is only in the 21st century that we begin to see that Tewedros?s cultural values had more in common with the pre-Renaissance world of Prester John than with post-industrial revolution Britain. Clearly the British government?s outrage at the imprisonment of its consul, and Napier?s subsequent refusal to accept anything less than total surrender ? even after the release of the prisoners ? would not have been anticipated or even understood by an essentially medi?val monarch. Both Ethiopianists and lovers of military art will be grateful to Frederic Sharf for a unique and important publication. Following hard on the heels of Diary of a Journey to Abyssinia, this carefully prepared exhibition of paintings and drawings of Britain?s Abyssinia expedition fills some significant gaps in our knowledge of 19th century Ethiopia."Ian Campbell, Scholar on Ethiopian Art History

This book covers Bright's participation in African exploration expeditions from June 1897 to September 1908. He was a candid observer of places which were at the time largely unknown to the outside world. He was a meticulous record-keeper, with a keen eye for details. His diaries thus offer an unusual insider's look at the evolution of British colonial policy, as well as providing a factual account of daily life on these expeditions. In presenting one section of the first diary, it is the editor's hope that an obscure but important aspect of the history of East Africa in the late 19th century will be illuminated. The introductory material is designed to make its significance more apparent to those who are not familiar with the times and places involved.

This book is the most complete, accessible, and up-to-date resource for Ethiopian geography, history, politics, economics, society, culture, and education, with coverage from ancient times to the present. Ethiopia is a comprehensive treatment of this ancient country's history coupled with an exploration of the nation today. Arranged by broad topics, the book provides an overview of Ethiopia's physical and human geography, its history, its system of government, and the present economic situation. But the book also presents a picture of contemporary society and culture and of the Ethiopian people. It also discusses art, music, and cinema; class; gender; ethnicity; and education, as well as the language, food, and etiquette of the country. Readers will learn such fascinating details as the fact that coffee was first domesticated in Ethiopia more than 10,000 years ago and that modern Ethiopia comprises 77 different ethnic groups with their own distinct languages.

Offers a revised and updated history of thirteen of the most significant British conflicts during the Victorian period.

The first book to explore how African American writing and art engaged with visions of Ethiopia during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries As the only African nation, with the exception of Liberia, to remain independent during the colonization of the continent, Ethiopia has long held significance for and captivated the imaginations of African Americans. In Black Land, Nadia Nurhussein delves into nineteenth- and twentieth-century African American artistic and journalistic depictions of Ethiopia, illuminating the increasing tensions and ironies behind cultural celebrations of an African country asserting itself as an imperial power. Nurhussein navigates texts by Walt Whitman, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Pauline Hopkins, Harry Dean, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, George Schuyler, and others, alongside images and performances that show the intersection of African America with Ethiopia during historic political shifts. From a description of a notorious 1920 Star Order of Ethiopia flag-burning demonstration in Chicago to a discussion of the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie as Time magazine’s Man of the Year for 1935, Nurhussein illuminates the growing complications that modern Ethiopia posed for American writers and activists. American media coverage of the African nation exposed a clear contrast between the Pan-African ideal and the modern reality of Ethiopia as an antidemocratic imperialist state: Did Ethiopia represent the black nation of the future, or one of an inert and static past? Revising current understandings of black transnationalism, Black Land presents a well-rounded exploration of an era when Ethiopia’s presence in African American culture was at its height.

First published in 1970. An account of the authors’ captivity in Abyssinia and some account of the Late Emperor Theodore, His Country and People. The sufferings of the Abyssinian captives (1840s) will be ever associated, in the annals of British valour, with the triumphant success of the expedition, so skilfully organized by its commander, whose title, Lord Napier of Magdala, commemorates the crowning achievement of a glorious career.

Includes list of members.