I Didn't Do It for You: How the World Betrayed a Small African Nation (P.S.)

by Michela Wrong
I Didn't Do It for You: How the World Betrayed a Small African Nation (P.S.)
published
June 1st 2006 by Harper Perennial
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binding
Paperback, 480 pages

isbn
0060780932   (isbn13: 9780060780937)

description

Scarred by decades of conflict and occupation, the craggy African nation of Eritrea has weathered the world's longest-running guerrilla war. The d...more






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Kendiel
Kendiel added it
05/30/08

Read in May, 2008


...more
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Talia
Talia rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
11/14/07

Read in September, 2005
This book attempts to answer the ongoing debate about who is at fault for the social, cultural and most importantly economic suffering of Africa. Michela Wrong's latest book illustrates the problems seen in Eritrea to make some kind of sense of whats going on. The book essentially spends the greater part of the book pointing fingers at former Italian and British colonialists, the UN and the cold war superpowers. She also mentions the failures of Haile Salisse and Mengistu did more bad than good....more
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Liza
Liza rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
08/28/07

Before I read this book I knew absolutely nothing about Eritrea. I still don't know enough, but I am glad this was my introduction. Despite the cover and title it does not toe the typical "Oh, poor Africans; let's throw subsidized food and expensive pharmaceuticals at them and then all will be well" line. It does not paint such a simple story, rather it tells the tale of a nation that has been required to fight everyone: the Italians, the Ethiopians, the U.S., the British, the UN--the ...more
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Parastou
Parastou rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
01/29/08

Read in January, 2008
A very engaging, and concise history of Eritrea's colonization and occupation/annexation by Italy, the UK, and Ethiopia, and its struggle for independence. Lots of fascinating insight into the cold war politics that came into play as both the US and the Soviet Union for their own reasons backed Eritrea's main adversary, Ethiopia and a hint of how many of these same dynamics could come into play during the war on terror. I learned a lot from this book, that was very useful to me for my work. I ...more
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Ty
Ty rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
06/28/07

Read in June, 2007
Written in a somewhat wistful, colloquial prose, this history book reads much like a novel. Filled with anecdotes that educate on a relatively arcane topic without overwhelming with hard facts, this book doesn't just introduce you to a small african nation; it acquaints you with the eritrean people in the midst of a troublesome journey from occupation and exploitation to independence in a post-colonial age. Insightful, gripping, fun; Wrong will make you care...
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Brian
Brian rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
06/21/07

bookshelves: generalnonfiction
Read in January, 2006
The british journalist can sometimes really do this kind of writing well, and Wrong is one of the best. Descriptive without too much emotion. Her account of the revolutionary fighters was particularly fascinating to me, as I knew so little about them, but the accounts of the country under various colonial powers was of great interest, as well.
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Rachel
Rachel rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
07/13/07

Read in April, 2007
This book provides a glimpse into the tiny, largely neglected and/or unrealized country of Eritrea and examines how it has played a pivotal role as a staging ground for Cold War rivalries and post-Cold War buys for power. Despite its primary geographic position in the world for powerful countries, it has become increasingly more neglected.
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Ben
Ben rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
04/26/07

bookshelves: non-fiction
I had an Eritrean client in an asylum case, and given that I couldn't even pronounce Eritrea correctly, I figured I needed to learn more about it. This was a good basic primer on Eritrea's history, and how that has impacted their attempts to form a nation, and their complex relationship with Ethiopia.
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Peggy
Peggy rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
02/08/08

Read in January, 2007
My sister recently started this and reminded me what a great book this was. The West took advantage Eritrea's geographical location to muck about and thoroughly screw over this little country. Just another ugly piece of history that we never hear about.
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Dave
Dave rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
09/06/07

Read in August, 2007
recommends it for: anyone interested in war, Africa, colonial history, the cold war
This is a good, solid book about Africa getting screwed by colonial/superpower intervention. Wrong does a great job of telling powerful stories about battle and war. The book is also super-researched.
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Dirk
Dirk rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
01/19/08

Read in January, 2008
Wrong has an incredible gift for breathing life into in little known history.

Revealing the origin of her book's title could say it all, but surprisingly, she goes even further.

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elizabeth
Fascinating if sometimes breezy (I'd have been okay with more (any) footnotes). Makes the Times current reporting of what's going on in the Horn all the more inscrutable.
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Philip
Philip rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
05/31/08

bookshelves: african-interest, autobiographical, history
Read in January, 2006
Of local Interest
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Deirdre
Deirdre is currently reading it
10/05/08

bookshelves: currently-reading

Pooja
Pooja is currently reading it
09/22/08

bookshelves: currently-reading

Andenet
Andenet is currently reading it
09/21/08

bookshelves: currently-reading

Katie
Katie rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
09/21/08


Anna
Anna marked it as to-read
09/18/08

bookshelves: to-read

Janus
Janus rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
09/05/08


Valerie
Valerie rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
09/10/08

Read in September, 2008


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book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 4.12 (52 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 3.90 (51 ratings)
number of reviews: 13







other editions

I didn't do it for you
I Didn't Do It for You: How the World Betrayed a Small African Nation (Hardcover)