Haile Selassie I, the last emperor of Ethiopia, was as brilliant as he was formidable. An early proponent of African unity and independence who claimed to be a descendant of King Solomon, he fought with the Allies against the Axis powers during World War II and was a messianic figure for the Jamaican Rastafarians. But the final years of his empire saw turmoil and revolution, and he was ultimately overthrown and assassinated in a communist coup.
Written by Asfa-Wossen Asserate, Haile Selassie's grandnephew, this is the first major biography of this final "king of kings." Asserate, who spent his childhood and adolescence in Ethiopia before fleeing the revolution of 1974, knew Selassie personally and gained intimate insights into life at the imperial court. Introducing him as a reformer and an autocrat whose personal history-with all of its upheavals, promises, and horrors-reflects in many ways the history of the twentieth century itself, Asserate uses his own experiences and painstaking research in family and public archives to achieve a colorful and even-handed portrait of the emperor.
He was the scion of a dynasty that was reputed to descend from King Solomon, a pioneer of African unity and independence, a staunch confederate of the Allies in their fight against the fascist Axis powers and the messiah of the Jamaican Rastafarian movement. He was a reformer and an autocrat, whose rule was brought to a brutal and ignominious end when he was toppled and murdered by communist rebels. The impressive, dazzling and complex personality of Haile Selassie, King of Kings, is brilliantly conveyed in this biographical portrait by Asfa-Wossen Asserate, his close relation. The author spent his childhood and early youth in Ethiopia, though he never held political office in his native country, where his father was the last president of the Imperial Crown Council. The background of the author, who knew Haile Selassie in person, afforded him intimate insights into life at the Ethiopian court and the increasingly controversial policies pursued by the emperor. Asfa-Wossen Asserate's own experiences, augmented by intensive research in both family and public archives, combine to produce a uniquely detailed portrayal of the last King of Kings of Ethiopia and the turbulent and tragic history of the country over which he reigned supreme for much of the 20th century.
"A superior biography."
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, on the German edition
"Provides an authoritative, insider's perspective and a refreshingly balanced look at this fascinating international figure who was the global face of Ethiopia for most of the 20th century. . . . King of Kings: Triumph and Tragedy of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia is full of captivating details that only an insider could share; it is written with great poise and warmth for the enigmatic leader while at the same time cognizant of the swelling unhappiness and criticism the Emperor faced from his own people impatient with the pace of change."
- Tadias Magazine
"A multifaceted picture of the so-called Father of Africa."
- Publishers Weekly
"A tautly written, remarkably even-handed account of successful autocracy."
- Spectator
"A thorough and in-depth view of this larger-than-life figure. . . . Intertwines history, geography, politics, religion, and human interest to form a fascinating narration that covers much of the landscape of the twentieth century."
- Foreword Reviews
"This moving and commanding work of literature, a perspective from inside the subject's world and yet with full recognition of the world which surrounded it, is a litany of lessons, and a signal reminder of the human components of leadership."
- Defense & Foreign Affairs Special Analysis
"This is a superb, magnificent and totally gripping biography."
- Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The Romanovs
"Haile Selassie is one of the most bizarre and misunderstood figures in 20th-century history, alternately worshipped and mocked, idolised and marginalised. This magnificent biography by the German-Ethiopian historian Asfa-Wossen Asserate (a distant relation of Selassie), and translated by Peter Lewis, is diligently researched and fair-minded; he is at last accorded a proper dignity."
- Guardian
"Today, after centuries of oppression, a billion Africans are finally winning back the substance of their freedom but it is proving a long, vexed and sometimes violent fight. Asfa-Wossen Asserate's masterful, insider's account of Haile Selassie, the African emperor who led Ethiopia's struggle against colonial fascism only to deny liberty to his people, stands as inspiration and warning to an entire continent."
- Alex Perry, author of The Rift: A New Africa Breaks Free
"This rather splendid book . . . can best be described as a sober and rational assessment of the extremely long and complex life of the most eminent African ruler of the 20th century."
- Literary Review
"The value of Asfa-Wossen Asserate's biography is that it is an insider's account. . . . Asserate provides a clear-sighted, dispassionate appraisal of the Emperor's life."
- Times Literary Supplement
"The impressive, dazzling and complex personality of Haile Selassie, King of Kings and Conquering Lion, is conveyed in this biographical portrait by Asfa-Wossen Asserate, his great-nephew."
- New African
"this biography is a useful study of a significant African statesman."
- Chartist Magazine
