'Prunier and Ficquet in Understanding Contemporary Ethiopia aim to present a "wide-angle snapshot" of one country by bringing together a diverse range of authors to explain it on its own terms. The book includes thorough, detailed and highly contextual studies of Ethiopian history, politics, religions and economics.'
Times Literary Supplement
'Understanding Contemporary Ethiopia is an impressive volume, one which contains a wealth of information on the historical, cultural and religious underpinnings of the landlocked country in the Horn of Africa ... The editors have assembled an impressive series of contributions.'
Nick Branson, LSE Review of Books
'This volume on all things Ethiopian by a group of noted experts is a tour de force. Focussing on the nature of power in Ethiopian state and society, the contributors provide powerful and provocative accounts that chart the process of rapid societal change as Ethiopia assumes its place as a rising regional power. In doing so they uncover a new model of economic development and state-building, pointing to the importance of the Ethiopian state in conditioning violence, social change and economic accumulation. A must-read.'
Will Reno, Professor, Director of the Program of African Studies, Northwestern University
'Ethiopia can no longer be caricatured or mythologised. No one could have envisioned the extent to which this country would be transformed nearly twenty-five years after the end of its long civil war. To help us make sense of the dynamics shaping contemporary Ethiopia, this much-needed volume brings together important insights from the world's most notable experts on the country's culture, history, politics, and society. They offer a comprehensive and accessible account that should be widely read.'
Leonardo R. Arriola, University of California, Berkeley