Wemezekir's Picks: Annotated accession list of Ethiopia related books and films -12-28'15

Blogger's Note:

These are books and audio visual materials that found their way to Wemezekir's repository in the last three months. In the beginning, the annotated accession list was conceived to be like a digest for the books read & AV materials viewed. Being a slow reader, it is very hard for me to cover all the materials acquired in the period. Hence, I will try to provide here my personal reaction in digest format, the books I have read or AV materials I have viewed first and then provide selected brief reviews that I have found from various sources for those I have not read yet. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage others who may have read or viewed the books or AV materials listed here to send me your personal reactions or brief notes about the books at the following e-mail address: genaledc@gmail.com

Stirring the Pot: A History of African Cuisine. James McCann. xiv + 213p.; Ohio University Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780896802728 (Paperback).

A unique book on understanding African history through the art of cooking and culinary practices of the continent. It is a serious academic book with scholarly analysis of food culture in Africa along side recipes for preparation of some popular dishes from Africa including Shiro wat from Ethiopia. The author, a Boston University Professor of African history with particular interest on teaching and researching agricultural & ecological history of Africa. He is also the founding director of African Studies Center of Boston University. He wrote several books on political and environmental history of Africa in general and Ethiopia & Horn of Africa in particular including a book which won Prize for Best Book in Environmental History and entitled Maize and Grace: A History of Africa’s Encounter with a New World Crop (2005).

It is the first time for me to see exhaustive scholarly research on African culinary practices and their deeper meanings appearing in a book format. The last one that I recall of such endeavour was a presentation by Dr. Heran Sereke-Berhan on Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony which she also published in article format. 

The book provide chronological history as to which grains and staples are indigenous to Africa and since when the grains or ways of preparing food out of them migrated to other parts of the world to influence cooking in parts of the world such as Louisiana or the Caribbean Islands. The book also describes the other side of migratory movement where grains or food items from other parts of the world such as maize made their way to Africa to have become so popular staple food.

Those interested in Ethiopian history and aficionados of the increasingly popular Ethiopian food would learn a lot about the history and nuances of Ethiopian cuisine. The book start with describing a feast given by Empress Taytou in 1887 in honor of Saint Mary’s day at the newly built EnToTo Mariam Church. In two chapters dedicated to Ethiopian food, the author examines in great length the political context around such feasts and gibirs held in the courts of kings/queens or provincial rulers as well as how food preparation and consumption was instrumental in molding national identity in the Ethiopian context. Without going too much in detail, I believe some readers would find the book challenging as well as stimulating intellectually but also engaging for the stories included in the book.

ZEMENE:  ዘመኔ  [A DVD & Bluray] .Written, Directed & Produced by Melissa Donovan. Runtime 69m. Genre: Documentary.

A very touching and also a positive story of Zemenework Teget (Zemene), an Ethiopian girl who developed spinal cord deformation (what is commonly known as hunchback) during childhood and who happened to meet an American doctor by accident on the street of Gonder after disappointing visit to a clinic. The accidental meeting with the American doctor who told her & her uncle to come and see him if they can make it to Ethiopian Capital, Addis Ababa became a turning point in her life which led to to miraculous success story not only to the girl and the doctors who treated her and many others children in the same situation but also to residents of Belesa a small town near Gonder. The film maker Melissa Donovan created a masterful work with powerful narrative of the Zemene's development and the humanitarian works of Dr. Rick Hodes as well as spectaular cinematography of Ethiopia's magnificent landscape. Add to that sound tracks of Hailu Mergia's classic instrumental as well as some folk songs, the result is something which stays long in your mind after viewing this documentary. I highly recommend seeing this documentary either by arranging screening of the film with the producer or by purchasing the DVD/Bluray. The producer has offered to donate all the money raised during screening or sales proceeds of the DVD/Blurays to projects benefiting Belesa village residents especially children.  You can place your order from ethioheritage store or watch the trailer of the film and order the film by following this link.

የተደበቀው ማስታወሻ.(የ1928-1929 ዓ.ም የኢትዮጵያና ኢጣልያ ጦርነት መዘክር) በዶክተር ሀራልድ ናይስተሮም። የአማርኛ ትርጉም:: በዶ\ር ገበየሁ  ተፈሪ እና ደስአለኝ አለሙ

Amharic translation of  Dr. Harald Nystrom's With St. George on the Death Ride. English translation by Dr. Thomas Coleman, 2012. 

Amharic translation by Dr. Gebeyehu Teferi & Desalegn Alemu. Chibo Light Books, 2014.  x + 238pp. ISBN: 9780692268933 (paperback)

Readers of this first hand narratives by Dr. Harald Nystrom a Swedish physician who was sent by Emperor Haile Selassie to treat Dejazmach Ayalew a charismatic regional chief of Semien whose regiment stopped the advances of the invading Fascist Italian forces in the North Western front, will have appreciation of the heroic sacrifices made by Dejazmach Ayalew's forces including his close friends and in-laws. Most importantly the book provided relatively detailed account of the mobilization of Ethiopian forces in many fronts and also how aerial bombardment by the invading forces including the use of poison gas was instrumental in the defeat of Ethiopian forces especially after initial victories against the Italians. The translators added some supporting primary source materials such as pictures obtained later and also provided some explanation of medical conditions with appropriate notes.  You can purchase this book from ethioheritagestore or from www.chibolight.com

Blogger's Note: The following books are next on my reading list. I have started reading some of these and I have yet to read others.  Hopefully, I will provide my personal reaction in the next Wemezekir's Picks. For the moment I will provide links to reviews written by others for these books.

The Plot to Kill Graziani: The Attempted Assasination of Mussolini's Viceroy. by Ian Campbell. Addis Ababa University Press 2011. xlii + 492pp.

 

...The hefty and lavishly photo-documented paperback, which involved decades of thorough investigative research and sleuth, is undoubtably deserving of Richard’s Pankhurst’s golden laud of, ‘Ethiopia’s Book of the Year.’

Never before heard voices from a handful of surviving witnesses, tracked down by Campbell in thrilling detective style, are of archival substance in this 500 page testament. Other events of the five year fascist occupation are treated contextually, but unsparing of gruesome detail. The initial official down-playing, followed eventually by elevation to national hero status of the two Eritreans who carried out the malfunctioned mission is examined, as is the likely authorisation for the attack from exiled Emperor Haile Selassie. Complexities of this patriotic turning point are also opened and aired as never before, likewise the unintended outcome including the ensuing massacre and loss of thousands of innocent Ethiopian lives both in the capitol as well as at Debre Libanos.

Mr. Campbell’s book just happens to have good timing, as such dedicated works often do, arriving in advance of the upcoming 75th anniversary of the atrocity. The League of Nations, embryo of the United Nations, turned it’s back on Ethiopia during that dark hour. Only the United States and the Soviet Union abstained from recognition of the then proposed legitimacy of Europe’s latest colonial ambition. It’s fitting somehow that Americans of Ethiopian heritage have now united to raise funds in order to erect a long overdue memorial at the site on the University of Addis Ababa campus.

Review by Bruce Strachan https://ethiopianreviewofbooks.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/75/

The Massacre of Debre Libanos Ethiopia 1937 : The Story of One of Fascism's Most Shocking Atrocities by Ian Campbell. Addis Ababa Univeristy (2014) 

 Review by Bruce Starchan

The never fully realized colonial ambitions of Fascist Italy over the Empire of Ethiopia produced some of that nation's darkest hours, and yet these are also amongst the least explored. 

It is timely therefore that Ethiopianist Ian Campbell has brought one of the most reprehensible incidents of that period back to focus with his latest historical expose..

Church and Missions in Ethiopia During the Italian Occupation. Self published and printed at Artistic Printing Enterprise, Addis Ababa Ethiopia.  2014. 443pp.