The Plot to Kill Graziani

the long version

The Plot to Kill Graziani is the first major and very successful- work to reconstruct the full history of the assassination attempt on Graziani on February 19, 1937 and its bloody consequences ... Its virtue is that it does not content itself with Italian sources, which it finds to be wanting on many counts. Rather, it draws heavily on oral information obtained from members of the families of the participants or from their followers or friends. It scrapes together facts from whatever written sources have survived from the Ethiopian side to substantiate more firmly information obtained from oral sources. It gives readers a careful portrayal of the leading personalities in the event. The story is told with verve and clarity. It is a book that should be a must read to all those interested in the history of the five year occupation of Ethiopia by Fascist Italy. Shiferaw Bekele, Department of History and Secretary General of the Ethiopian Academy of Languages & Culture of Addis Ababa university The book's greatest contribution is in unravelling the intricate nature of the plot. An event that was commonly associated with two names - Abraha Deboch and Moges Asgedom - now emerges as an elaborate and multi-faceted plot involving many persons and groups, including the Emperor in exile ... The documentation is meticulous and thorough, including in the acknowledgement of oral sources. Further, the manuscript is richly illustrated, something very important for a historical event so full of drama and involving so many colorful personalities.