Waugh in Abyssinia (Penguin Modern Classics)
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Product Description
Product Description
In 1935 Italy declared war on Abyssinia and Evelyn Waugh was sent to Addis Ababa to cover the conflict. His acerbic account of the intrigue and political machinations leading up to the crisis is coupled with amusing descriptions of the often bizarre and seldom straightforward life of a war correspondent rubbing shoulders with less-than-honest officials, Arab spies, pyjama-wearing radicals and disgruntled journalists. Witty, lucid and penetrating, Evelyn Waugh captures the dilemmas and complexities of a feudal society caught up in twentieth-century politics and confrontation.
About the Author
Evelyn Waugh was born in Hampstead in 1903, second son of Arthur Waugh, publisher and literary critic, and brother of Alec Waugh, the popular novelist. He was educated at Lancing and Hertford College, Oxford, where he read Modern History. In 1928 he published his first work, a life of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and his first novel, Decline and Fall, which was soon followed by Vile Bodies (1930), Black Mischief (1932), A Handful of Dust (1934) and Scoop (1938). Waugh travelled extensively and also wrote several travel books, as well as a biography of Edmund Campion and Ronald Knox. Other famous works include his Sword of Honour trilogy, and Brideshead Revisited (1945).
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
An interesting read on the very strange goings on in Abyssinia in the period between the World Wars. This is a good introduction to the novel Scoop, it is a factual account which makes you realise that the stupidity in Scoop actually happened.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Waugh was a great travel writer, but why buy this?
13 May 2007
Format:Paperback
I agree with the other reviewer of this book that much of Evelyn Waugh's travel writing, at least in the 1930s when he was at his sharpest as a writer, was among the best in English in the twentieth century (comparable to Robert Byron and Peter Fleming), and that this title is at the top of the Waugh list. Readers should know, however, that there is a very inexpensive anthology of all of Waugh's travel writings available from amazon: Waugh Abroad (ISBN 1400040760). It is in hardcover in the Everyman series and amazon sells it new for less than $ 20. I may be overlooking something, but the anthology seems to be a far better choice: Evelyn Waugh went lots of places and wrote brilliantly about many, including but not limited to Ethiopia.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
"Waugh in Abyssinia" seems a forgotten jewel
6 Nov 2004
Format:Paperback
Today there are only two copies available on Amazon used books! What a great book. Only 169 pages, but a wonderful insight into the leadin to the Italian invasion of Abyssinia (not long before WWII) and thru to the early period of the consolidation of the Italian victory.
The super justly famous Evelyn Waugh created, in this book, a tremendously educational outline and insight into a whole period, and parts of it are so witty that tears of laughter were running down my face several times.
Interestingly, to me at least, the original purchaser of the copy I got evidently did so in 1986, in Nairobi. I have a feeling it is not available at your local newsstand, but if I knew how good it is and didn't already have it.. I'd sure be looking for it.
The super justly famous Evelyn Waugh created, in this book, a tremendously educational outline and insight into a whole period, and parts of it are so witty that tears of laughter were running down my face several times.
Interestingly, to me at least, the original purchaser of the copy I got evidently did so in 1986, in Nairobi. I have a feeling it is not available at your local newsstand, but if I knew how good it is and didn't already have it.. I'd sure be looking for it.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Waugh's Book - Waugh in Abyssinia
29 Oct 2009
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I thought 'Waugh in Abyssinia' is one of the worst books ever written about Ethiopia by outsiders. From the content, one can easily see that Waugh was disposed favorably towards Fascist Italy and was constantly annoyed that Ethiopians did not treat him the way he was used to be treated in other colonized countries.
He himself says that he is irritated by the average Ethiopian person who thinks he is equal to anyone in the world. Even if one considers that this was written during World War II, I find it difficult to forgive this guy for thinking so blatantly in a racist manner. The book is just a reflection of his frustration. I find it difficult that European readers continue to admire this guy.
Frankly, I consider the money I spent on the book as a total waste.
He himself says that he is irritated by the average Ethiopian person who thinks he is equal to anyone in the world. Even if one considers that this was written during World War II, I find it difficult to forgive this guy for thinking so blatantly in a racist manner. The book is just a reflection of his frustration. I find it difficult that European readers continue to admire this guy.
Frankly, I consider the money I spent on the book as a total waste.
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