I didn't do it for you

how the world betrayed a small African nation

432 pages

English language

Published Nov. 13, 2005 by HarperCollins Publishers.

ISBN:
978-0-06-078092-0
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OCLC Number:
57142434

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"Scarred by decades of conflict and occupation, the craggy African nation of Eritrea has weathered the world's longest-running guerrilla war. The dogged determination that secured victory against Ethiopia, its giant neighbor, is woven into the national psyche, the product of a series of cynical foreign interventions. Fascist Italy wanted Eritrea as the springboard for a new, racially pure Roman empire, Britain sold off its industry for scrap, the United States needed a base for its state-of-the-art spy station, and the Soviet Union used it as a pawn in a proxy war." "Michael Wrong reveals the breathtaking abuses this tiny nation has suffered and tells the story of colonialism itself. Along the way, we meet a formidable African emperor, a pigheaded English suffragette, and a guerilla fighter who taught himself French cuisine in the bush."--BOOK JACKET.

1 edition

Review of "I didn't do it for you" on 'LibraryThing'

A fascinating piece of journalism and history: a reporter who really gets to know the country, and talks with representative figures along the way. Except for an overlong section on American troops stationed in Eritrea during the Cold War, the book was consistently interesting, and engagingly written.

Subjects

  • Foreign relations
  • History

Places

  • Eritrea