The Ethiopians - (Lost Civilizations) by Steven Kaplan (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Drawing on the latest archaeological research, a brief and comprehensive guide to the ancient Ethiopian world.

Ethiopia has captured the imagination of observers since ancient times. This book provides a fresh perspective on Ethiopian history up to 1500, beginning with the Aksumite civilization at the start of the Common Era. It revisits famous stories like the legend of the Queen of Sheba, examines the rise and fall of Aksum, explores the role of Muslims and Islam in Ethiopian society, and highlights the architectural wonders of Lalibela's rock-hewn churches.

Focusing on the Golden Age of the early Solomonic rulers, the book incorporates the most recent scholarship to present a clearer and more nuanced understanding of this rich history than ever before.

Review Quotes

"Kaplan's The Ethiopians is a masterly display of the historian's art of truth. Respectful of the vivid legendary history of Ethiopia, he shows how state of the art modern research has further added to our knowledge of a remarkably resilient and diverse medieval polity in the Horn of Africa."

--Peter Brown, Princeton University

"This incisive volume is one we have been waiting for. In this excellent introduction to the ancient and "medieval" history of Ethiopia from the legend of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba to the end of the Middle Ages, Steven Kaplan has traced a clearly delineated and freshly interpreted path across the millennia. The Ethiopians is a concise synthesis of current scholarship and a welcome reinterpretation of what has been previously accepted, time and again providing innovative and compelling interpretations that offer wide-ranging food for thought for the current and future generations devoted to the study of the highlands. This book is full of valuable insights for experts, but will also greatly enhance the understanding of the history of the region and its highly diverse populations for readers with no previous knowledge. Essential reading."--Michael Gervers, Professor of History, University of Toronto

"The Ethiopians provides a truly revelatory overview of Ethiopia until 1500 that spans epochs and disciplines. Steven Kaplan artfully synthesizes recent research about the Ethiopian past, simultaneously narrating both new historical perspectives and shaping a critical historiography."--Kay Kaufman Shelemay, Harvard University

About the Author

Steven Kaplan is associate fellow of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences. For over thirty-five years he taught African studies and comparative religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His books include Ethiopia: History, Culture and Challenges.