$49.95
Author : Richard Pankhurst
ISBN Code : 097231721X
Language : English
Pages number : 195
Format : Hardcover; 6"X9"; Illustrations
This book features an original manuscript diary account by a leading Victorian journalist, William Simpson and recounts his experiences during a military expedition by the British army into the heart of Ethiopia (then called Abyssinia) in 1868. The introductory materials by Richard Pankhurst, Peter Harrington and Frederic A. Sharf, and the explanatory notes by Richard Pankhurst, give context and historical background to make the account meaningful to the modern reader.
The Expedition to Magdala of 1867-1868 was a memorable event in British military history, in the history of warfare in general, and in the history of Ethiopia. Meticulously planned and executed, the campaign was a triumph for its commander, Sir Robert Napier. It also sealed the fate of the Ethiopian Emperor Tewodros, or Theodore, II, who committed suicide rather than to fall in the hands of his enemies. Manuscripts and other loot taken from Magdala subsequently contributed significantly to the advancement of Ethiopian studies in Europe, but restitution to Ethiopia is now actively demanded. The expedition was notable for the use of elephants imported from India, the building of a port railway, and the use of breech-loading rifles, the first time they employed in war.