The Barefoot Emperor: An Ethiopian Tragedy [rare books] by Philip Marsden

'An amazing story a page-turning narrative of a sort I haven't read in years' Spectator

In The Barefoot Emperor. Philip Marsden recreates a tale of power and tragedy on a classical scale, centring on one of the most fascinating and enigmatic figures in African history.

Emperor Tewodros II, King of Kings, rose to the Ethioplan throne in the 1850s. Claiming direct descent from Solomon, he combined military genius with personal charisma. He dreamed of an alliance with Europe but when Queen Victoria failed to respond to his letter of friendship, his reaction was brutal and reckless. He provoked a dramatic hostage crisis, prompting one of the most bizarre and costly British expeditions of the imperial age. From Marsden's thrilling account of these events emerges the figure of an extraordinary and troubled ruler, grappling with his own people, with his own demons, and with the unstoppable approach of the modern world.