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Ryszard Kapuscinski

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The Emperor: Downfall of an Autocrat Paperback – March 13, 1989

by Ryszard Kapuscinski (Author), William R. Brand (Translator), Katarzyna Mroczkowska-Brand (Translator)

4.2 262 ratings

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A "sensitive, powerful ... history" (The New York Review of Books) of a man living amidst nearly unimaginable pomp and luxury while his people teetered netween hunger and starvation.

Haile Selassie, King of Kings, Elect of God, Lion of Judah, His Most Puissant Majesty and Distinguished Highness the Emperor of Ethiopia, reigned from 1930 until he was overthrown by the army in 1974. While the fighting still raged, Ryszard Kapuscinski, Poland's leading foreign correspondent, traveled to Ethiopia to seek out and interview Selassie's servants and closest associates on how the Emperor had ruled and why he fell. This is Kapuscinski's rendition of their accounts—humorous, frightening, sad, groteque.

Print length

176 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Vintage
Publication date

March 13, 1989
Dimensions

5.23 x 0.5 x 7.97 inches
ISBN-10

0679722033
ISBN-13

978-0679722038
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Haile Selassie, His Most Puissant Majesty and Distinguished Highness the Emperor of Ethiopia, enjoyed a 44-year reign until his own army gave him the boot in 1974. In the days following the coup, the Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski traveled to Ethiopia and sought out members of the imperial court for interviews.

His composite portrait of Selassie's crumbling imperium is an astonishing, wildly funny creation, beginning with the very first interview. "It was a small dog," recalls an anonymous functionary, "a Japanese breed. His name was Lulu. He was allowed to sleep in the Emperor's great bed. During various ceremonies, he would run away from the Emperor's lap and pee on dignitaries' shoes. The august gentlemen were not allowed to flinch or make the slightest gesture when they felt their feet getting wet. I had to walk among the dignitaries and wipe the urine from their shoes with a satin cloth. This was my job for ten years." (Well, it's a living.)

Elsewhere, the interviewees venture into tragic or grotesque or downright unbelievable terrain. Kapuscinski has shaped their testimonies into an eloquent whole, and while he never alludes to the totalitarian regime that ruled his native Poland during the same period, the analogy is impossible to ignore.

Review

"[The Emperor] transcends reportage, becoming a nightmare of power... An unforgettable, fiercely comic, and finally compassionate book."
—Salman Rushdie

"Kapuscinski transcends the limitations of journalism and writes with the narrative power of a Conrad or Kipling or Orwell."
—Blake Morrison

"A Stunning exhibit; the interviewed subjects. . .enunciate their memories of the days of Haile Selassie with a magical elegance that. . .achieves poetry and aphorism."
—John Updike, The New Yorker

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; Reissue edition (March 13, 1989)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 176 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0679722033
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0679722038
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.23 x 0.5 x 7.97 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #768,679 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #541 in African Politics
- #1,141 in Journalist Biographies
- #1,167 in Royalty Biographies

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4.2 262 ratings

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4.2 out of 5

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Boi

Fair, balanced and wonderfully written.

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2022

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Through the years I have heard countless people speak with reverence and respect about Haile Selassie with a few detractors who have doubted his good will and accomplishments. I was always curious about who he was beyond the distinguished photos and the devout utterings of his devotees and detractors. I couldn't decide which of the many biographies to read that wasn't biased to either faction, until I came upon this book.

"The Emperor: Downfall of an Autocrat", is unique in its presentation and storytelling. It's not a book that chronologically narrates the life of the Emperor from birth to his heavenly transition. The Emperor's life is told through clandestine interviews of various people who were closest to him in his court...who were secretly sought out under dangerous conditions within Ethiopia to shed light on the day to day life of the Emperor --both in good times and in the end darker times. The book sheds light on the psyche of the Emperor as well as the people around him, as well as the populous he served. The book shows all prospectives that make no-one, including the Emperor look like the hero nor the villain.

This book is for people who want to know not only the important historical events that have great significance to the history of Ethiopia during the reign of Haile Selassie, but also what it feels like to live within the Emperor's shoes. The saying, "Never judge a man, until you've walked a mile in his shoes," apply to Haile Selassie and after reading this book, you may change your judgement in either direction or become neutral.

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Paul T. Scheller

pensive and revealing

Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2024

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Plodding story of a autocrat king who is not cruel but oblivious. Told from the viewpoint of his staff,the insight is thoughtful and prophetic. A history we should recognize and be vigilant against happening again in any country.

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Cynthia Sally Haggard

Kapucinski doesn't need to write a voluminous tome in order to convey what life was like under Haile Selassie

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2014

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The Emperor is so powerful that when he elevates someone to a new position, he changes their body language completely:

First, the whole figure of a man changes. What had been slender and trim-waisted now starts to become a square silhouette. It is a massive and solemn square: a symbol of the solemnity and weight of power. We can already see that this is not just anybody’s silhouette, but that of visible dignity and responsibility. A slowing down of movements accompanies this change in the figure. A man who has been singled out by His Distinguished Majesty will not jump, run, frolic, or cut a caper. No. His step is solemn: he sets his feet firmly on the ground, bending his body slightly forward to show his determination to push through adversity, ordering precisely the movement of his hands so as to avoid nervous disorganized gesticulation. Furthermore, the facial features become solemn, almost stiffened, more worried and closed, but still capable of a momentary change to optimism or approval. (34)

The man becomes old, he becomes slow, he becomes massive and solemn as he attempt to stifle his quirks to fit into that stagnant court atmosphere. Power sits heavily on his shoulders. All of these observations become ironic when one realizes, by reading through Kapucinski’s piece, that in fact the ministers spend most of their time not doing their jobs, but hanging around court just to catch the Emperor’s eye to indicate their “unshakable loyalty”. (50) And that, moreover, the Emperor doesn’t like his ministers to be good at their jobs, so that he “shined by contrast”. (33)

Kapucinski doesn’t need to write a voluminous tome in order to convey what life was like under the repressive rule of Emperor Haile Selassie. Instead he chooses a few details that stick out in the mind: such as the specific way in which a new minister’s body posture changes upon his promotion to power. There is something about each of these images that causes the reader to pause and think, and remember them afterwards. Five Stars.

5 people found this helpful

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Brian Shevory

A Portrait of Decline

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2024

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I had mixed feelings about this book. I decided to read it shortly after visiting Jamaica and reading another book about Rastafarians (Barrett’s excellent The Rastafarians). The book wasn’t as exciting or informative as I hoped, but it was interesting to learn about the changing nature and perception of Haile Selassie, emperor of Ethiopia. Selassie was also hailed as a God to the Rastafarians, and I could understand how as an emperor in a non-colonized African nation in the 20th century, his story could be inspiring to other colonized lands. Sadly, though, it seems like Selassie grew out of touch with the realities of Ethiopia and his neglect of the people and lavish lifestyle for his family and other hanger-ons led to his eventual downfall. The narrative is interesting as Kapuściński interviews those who were close to Selassie, and readers can see the alliances forming that would eventually break the royal court apart. Furthermore, I did like how the story takes place in years apart. That is, Kapuściński starts the narrative earlier on and then returns a few years later, eventually recounting the coup that took down Selassie. I can see the importance of this book, not only documenting the end of a family’s reign, but also showing much of the instability in less developed countries. Additionally, I can see this book as a kind of warning to other countries that lean more towards autocracy and how ignoring (or even punishing) the will of the people can bring about an eventual downfall.

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