THE LION OF JUDAH

by Charles Gorham ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 15, 1966

Although Etiopia is one of the lesser nations in the scheme of world politics, its Emperor, Haile Selassie, whose more conspicuous attributes include his minute stature and his gigantic title, has been recognized as a most distinguished dignitary ever since his prophecy (""It is us today; it will be you tomorrow"") of WW II, when the members of the League of Nations foolishly ignored his plea for assistance after the attack by Italy. Haile Selassie has been without question a strong individual and a hero, and the author is unstinting in his praise. His lionizing of the Lion of Judah is sometimes questionable in his use of the vague, journalistic, emotional phrase and in occasional implications (for instance, Selassie's role as a despot is glazed over with lists of his democratic reforms). This is otherwise a thorough biography and a holding one with the emphasis on the drama and the significance of events as Selassie managed to grasp hold of the complex intrigue of the Ethiopian court, to mastermind the modernization of the medieval land, and to maintain Ethiopia's independence in the face of the greedy jockeying of the colonial nations. ""The Lion of Judah"" is presented untamed.

Pub Date: March 15, 1966

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1966

Categories: NONFICTION