164pp., paperback, Reprint, London, (1983) 2006
First published in 1978 in Polish as Cesarz.
After the deposition of Haile Selassie in 1974, which ended the rule of the Abyssinian monarchy, Ryszard Kapuscinski travelled to Ethiopia and interviewed surviving courtiers.
"Stunning ... a magical eloquence" John Updike, New Yorker
"... transcends reportage, becoming a nightmare of power ... An unforgettable, fiercely comic, and finally compassionate book" Salman Rushdie, author of Midnight's Children
Ryszard Kapuscinski was born in Poland in 1932 and worked as a foreign correspondent for PAP, the Polish news agency, until 1981. His books include The Shadow of the Sun, Shah of Shahs, Another Day of Life and Travels with Herodotus.