IMPERIAL EXILE

Description

IMPERIAL EXILE: Emperor Haile Selassie in Britain (1936–40), a book by Keith Bowers, a former executive producer for the BBC, chronicles the five-year exile in Great Britain by Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, in a gripping story, that, with the plight of refugees constantly in the news, is as timely as it is intriguing.

Philip Marsden, author of The Barefoot Emperor, calls it “an important and dramatic story that deserves to be better known,” echoing famed Ethiopianist Richard Pankhurst, who states, “The important period of the Emperor’s exile in Bath has not received much attention. This thoroughly researched book fills the gap.”

Emperor Haile Selassie was forced to flee Ethiopia to escape the invading armies of the armies of the Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini. Imperial Exile reveals the full depth of the debilitating struggles that all exiles face. It tells the story of how the emperor is nearly crushed by a myriad of financial, political and personal pressures before a sudden twist of good fortune intervenes. The book is packed with beguiling eyewitness anecdotes, supported by a range of rare and fascinating photographs of both Britain and Ethiopia.

“This account adds substantially to the story of this important and fascinating world figure,” states Jonathan Dimbleby, while Ian Campbell, author of The Plot to Kill Graziani, adds it “is a must-read for anyone interested in the modern history of Ethiopia.”

The author is Keith Bowers, a former BBC executive producer who lives in Bath and travels regularly to Ethiopia.