Days of emperor and clown;: The Italo-Ethiopian War, 1935-1936,

by James Dugan, Laurence Lafore

Genres: Africa

382 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

James Dugan was a historian, editor and magazine article writer. He is best known for his collaborations with Jacques Cousteau.

Dugan had a long-lasting connection with Jacques Cousteau. Dugan first met Cousteau in 1944 during the liberation of France. At this time he was a Yank magazine correspondent. Much of his writing in the 50's and 60's concerns underwater exploration with Captain Jacques Cousteau. Dugan received the Grand Prix, Cannes International Film Festival award for the documentary The Silent World in 1956. He was also part of the team that produced the Academy Award-winning documentaries The Silent World (1956) and World Without Sun (1964). Dugan wrote the narration for both films. Dugan edited Cousteau's books The Silent World (1953) and World Without Sun (1965) and co-authored The Living Sea (1963) with Cousteau.

James Dugan died June 3, 1967 in Panama City, FL from a heart attack at the age of 55. He was buried at sea.

Reviews

[Richard Mancuso · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very informative history of the Italo-Ethiopian War, which is generally given the shallowest of references in most covering the lead up to WW2. The author's coverage of the war helps explain the logistical and geographic challenges facing the Italians that made the war last longer than many at the time expected, given the disparities in military technology between Italy and Ethiopia. Moreover, the author also provides an interesting picture of the diplomatic efforts to avert the war, as well as the abandonment of Ethiopia (by the UK and France) after the war was (largely) over.

[Michael P.]

An excellent book. However, the emphasis placed on political maneuvering became a little overwhelming as did the description of the coronation proceedings. The few pages dedicated to the war were very good and stayed away from the fascist hype of the times.

[Alex Stern · Rating 4 out of 5]

How I have long yearned to find a book about such an unknown war and this book absolutely delivered. A great balance of content between internal politics, geopolitics, and military history.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's on a topic not usually covered by WWII era books. But the subject is fascinating. The book suffers from little of the American breathelessness and addresses causes and effects in great detail. For those interested in WWII, 20th century history, or Rastafarianism there will be a lot of meaty fun. A cracking good read...