While I was with in France lately, I picked up an old copy of 'The Emperor' (1978) by Rysard Kapuscinski. It is just wonderful; I can't recommend it highly enough.
It's an account of the last years of the 'byzantine' or 'medieval' court (pick your own picturesque cliche) of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, who was absolute ruler of Ethiopia for 44 years. The book uses the voices of courtiers, interviewed by the author, to express the worldview of the court itself, the last imperial court in our time. These people saw themselves standing in an ancient tradition, and they often speak like characters from fantasy or historical romance.
Kapuscinski is a Pole who wrote this under communism, so it's generally seen as a biography of modern totalitarianism, an analysis of tyranny. And naturally there's much in it applicable to our current plight in the 'free' world.
For example, one court insider bemoans that his son has begun to think: "in those days thinking was a painful inconvenience and a troubling deformity. His Exalted Majesty, in his incessant care for the good and comfort of his subjects, never spared any efforts to protect them from this inconvenience and deformity... it truly amazes me that the police never caught the scent, the connection between thinking and mood. They could have easily neutralised these thinkers, who by their snorting and malicious reluctance to show satisfaction brought so many troubles and afflictions on His Venerable Majesty's head." (p.98)
But for me it's the specificity that gives it value, the individual voices of this traditional imperial court.
The whole thing feels quite out of history, and almost reads like fantasy. Which probably explains why I enjoyed it, since I don't usually read non-fiction these days.
Published:CMP
Article comments
1 - Makonnen Ketema
When the book first came out, there was no one to counter the fictitious material that was passed over as facts by Kapuscinski, as most former members of the Emperor’s government were either killed or imprisoned at the time. Years later, however, Rysrad Kapuscinski was asked to be part of a documentary that was commissioned by the BBC, ‘The Imperfect Journey’. Little did he know that one of the interviewees was a former member of the Emperor’s government (Foreign Minister; later Minister of Commerce, Tourism, and Industry; and political prisoner for almost 9 years under the Marxist Regime). The man was my father, the late Ketema Yifru, and the look on Kapuscinski’s face was priceless, to say the least, when my father first introduced himself and then made comments on the book. What saddens me is that when it comes to Africa, anything can be published as fact. This is why I have created a website that is based on my father’s accomplishments, which gives a better perspective of how things worked during the Emperor’s time. The web address is http://www.oau-creation.com.
Makonnen Ketema
2 - yekolotemari@gmail.com
It is one of my favorite books as well.
3 - kassa
Thois is a book full of lies. Most of its portion is written based on third persons " he said or she said". By the way Ryszard Kapucinski is the man who has benefited on the lies which never happend in Ethiopian history. I was amazed when he was interviewed on polish news papers as a specialist of Ethiopian history and far east Asia. You better talk to the students of department of"Ethiopiistka" in Warsaw university.Don't smear the history with lies sir!!!!!
4 - Makonnen Ketema
When the book first came out, there was no one to counter the fictitious material that was passed over as facts by Kapuscinski, as most former members of the Emperor’s government were either killed or imprisoned at the time. Years later, however, Rysrad Kapuscinski was asked to be part of a documentary that was commissioned by the BBC, ‘The Imperfect Journey’. Little did he know that one of the interviewees was a former member of the Emperor’s government (Foreign Minister; later Minister of Commerce, Tourism, and Industry; and political prisoner for almost 9 years under the Marxist Regime). The man was my father, the late Ketema Yifru, and the look on Kapuscinski’s face was priceless, to say the least, when my father first introduced himself and then made comments on the book. What saddens me is that when it comes to Africa, anything can be published as fact. This is why I have created a website that is based on my father’s accomplishments, which gives a better perspective of how things worked during the Emperor’s time. The web address is http://www.oau-creation.com.
Makonnen Ketema
5 - Bekele B
"The whole thing feels quite out of history, and almost reads like fantasy. Which probably explains why I enjoyed it, since I don't usually read non-fiction these days."
Your last paragraph sums up nicely the work of this author. Kapuscinski has built for himself this notoriety of fabricating fantastic worlds for western consumption. Please take a look at this excellent analysis by John Ryle on Kapuscinski's work: http://www.richardwebster.net/johnryle.html
6 - yekolotemari
Thank you for shading light on who Kapuscinski is. The URL particularly was enlightening. I must admit, that although I knew he had a tendency to exaggerate, I did not know the extent of these exaggerations.