Book Reviews Dereje Feyissa – Markus Virgil Hoehne: Borders and Borderlands as Resources in the Horn of Africa. Woodbridge 2010 Ian Campbell: The Plot To Kill Graziani. The Attempted Assassination(SZÉLINGER Balázs) 140 of Mussolini’s Viceroy. University Press, 2010. 492 pages. Conference Reports

On 19 an attempted assassination of Graziani, theth Viceroy of , occurred in Addis Ababa. Although the attemptThe failed, 18 thisInternational event, Conference of Ethiopian Studies in Dirre Dawa: known as “Yekatit 12” according to the Ethiopian calendar, is still“Movements considered in Ethiopia, Ethiopia in Movement”, 29 October to as one of the most important acts of the Ethiopian resistance. However,3 November the 2012 (Wolbert SMIDT – Chikage OBA-SMIDT) 144 historical background, the event itself, and its aftermath Nationalhave not Workshop:been the „Socio-cultural Impact Assessment of the Welqayt theme of historical research until now. Sugar and Irrigation Project”, 6 October 2012, Mekelle University Ian Campbell’s book is not only essential for any student of(M theITIKU Italian Gabrehiwot) 150 occupation in Ethiopia, but exciting from the first page toThe the Mikaellast. As Iyasu Bahru Library: Mekelle University Acquires 2,500 Books from the Zewde states on the back cover, it deals with “a historical eventFamily so full of of the Late Mikael Iyasu – Inauguration (AYELE Bekerie) 153 drama and involving so many colourful personalities…”. Indeed, reading Campbell’s book is like watching an action movie or atInternational least reading Workshop its on Documentation and Preservation of Ethiopian screenplay. The events’ descriptions are extremely detailed, not onlyCultural day by dayand Art Heritage of the Haddis Alemayehu Cultural and but very often by minutes or even by seconds (p. 222). This strengthResearch of the Institute, Debre Markos University, 19 May 2012 – An book is mainly due to the wide use of written sources (both primarIllustratedy and Conference Report (Manuel RAMOS) 155 secondary), but the extraordinary value of the research also liesInternational in the extensive Workshop on “Culture, Environment and Development” use of oral information. According to the “Preface and Acknowledgements”at Mekelle University, 15 March 2012 (Yoko FURUSAKI) 160 (pp. xxvi–xxxi) the data collection and the writing of the bookFrom took Ambivalence 15 years, to Acceptance – International Conference on Azmari and during this time the author was lucky enough to meet eyewitnesses of the in Ethiopia, University of Hildesheim, 6 − 8 January 2012 events or their descendants. The use of new sources revealed many surprising (Andreas WETTER) 164 details which were heretofore unknown, for example the detailed role of Simi’on Adefris, the taxi driver in Addis Ababa who helpedWorksho the assailantsp “On theto History and Culture of the Horn of Africa” at escape from Addis Ababa after the attempt, or the involvement ofMekelle Emperor Uni versity, 17-18 March 2011 (Carsten HOFFMANN and his circle in exile, who supported and urged the –actionZeus W(pp.ELLNHOFER ) 166 134 – 148). The book is much more than just a dry description of Yekatit 12. Campbell’s investigations extend far before and after the failed assassination, Research and Expedition Reports including also events occurring contemporaneously alongside it, giving rich information about the main and side characters. Apart fromA Journey the text,to Central the and Western Tigray (Dietrich RAUE) 169 attached photographs (many of them courtesy of the author)Did and the mapsgold ofmake the Aksumites originate in Tigray? A report on the work excellent. The “Epilogue” (pp. 427–442) increases the ongoing“screenplay research on local traditions of gold mining in Tigray feeling” in a very good sense offering data about the lives of many(Wolbert characters SMIDT , in collaboration with GEBREMICHAEL Nguse) 181 after the Italian occupation. The research also extends to the aftermath of Yekatit 12, which is especially interesting in light of the fact that the two assailants, Moges Asgedom and Abriha Deboch, were of Eritrean origin, and Research Abstracts both of them were employed by the Italian Fascist administration (p. 77). This is a book for everyone: for historians, for students, for readersSelected looking abstracts for of research projects in social sciences and humanities exciting books… and for film producers. at Mekelle University 193 140 139 ITYOPIṢ vol. 2 (2012) 5 Book Reviews & Review Articles There are only a very few shortcomings of the book (the reviewer almost feelsDereje ashamed Feyissa –to Markus mention Virgil them). Hoehne One: Bordersof them andis wh Borderlandsen Campbell as gives the estimateResourcess of the number in the Horn of Ethiopian of Africa. Woodbridgevictims of the 2010 Italian massacre after Yekatit (S12.ZÉLINGER The author Balázs) fails to give references, and one of the numbers seems140 to be incorrect (supposedly Alberto Sbacchi’s data, who writes 600, and not 6000; p. 273). Another minor mistake is the subtitleConference of the book: Reports from a precise historical point of view Graziani was Viceroy of the Italian king and th notThe of18 Mussolini. International Conference of Ethiopian Studies in Dirre Dawa: The“Movements book was published in Ethiopia, by AddisEthiopia Ababa in Movement”, University Press.29 October This meansto a low price3 Novemberand bad quality 2012 (Wolbertillustration SMIDTs, but– also Chikage that Oit BAhas-S MIDTlimited) availability 144 (bestNational to try Workshop: the AAU „Sociobookshop-cultural inside Impact Siddist Assessment Kilo campus of the– be Welqayt persistent , the staff willSugar often and say Irrigationthat they don’tProject”, have 6 thisOctober or that 2012, book…) Mekelle. University 1 (MITIKU Gabrehiwot) SZÉLINGER Balázs150

The Mikael Iyasu Library: Mekelle University Acquires 2,500 Books from the *** Family of the Late Mikael Iyasu – Inauguration (AYELE Bekerie) 153

DerejeInternational Feyissa Workshop – Markus on Documentation Virgil Hoehne and: Border Preservations and ofBorderlands Ethiopian as ResourcesCultural in andthe ArtHorn Heritage of ofAfrica the Haddis. Woodbridge: Alemayehu James Cultural Currey and & Kampala:Research Fontain Institute, Publishers, Debre 2010, Markos 205 University, pages. 19 May 2012 – An Illustrated Conference Report (Manuel RAMOS) 155 ThisInternational book, edited Workshop by two on young “Culture, scholars Environment from Ethiopia and andDevelopment” Germany, is a very valuableat effortMekelle for University, the better 15understanding March 2012 (Yokoof the FsignificanceURUSAKI) of borders 1in60 the Horn of Africa. Borders, especially colonial ones, are often condemned as From Ambivalence to Acceptance – International Conference on Azmari constraints in social sciences. The new anthropological approach of the contributorsin Ethiopia, to this Universityvolume may of thereforeHildesheim, seem 6 − somewhat 8 January surprising;2012 without denying(Andreas the harmful WETTER effects) of political borders, they claim that borders may 1be64 resourcesWorkshop for “On the the benefit History of theand neighboring Culture of thepeople. Horn of Africa” at TheMekelle 11 chapters University, cover 17 -almost18 March all 2011 state (Ca bordersrsten HOFFMANN in the greater Horn (Djibouti,– Zeus Eritrea,WELLNHOFER Ethiopia,) Kenya, Puntland, Somaliland and Sudan). The166 missing chapter on the Ethiopian-Somalian border is hardly understandable, however. (South Sudan did not exist as an independent state at the time of the publication.) One strength of the bookResearch is that, in andkeeping Expedition with the aimReports of its editors, it tries to depoliticize the subject (an almost impossible task indeed), andA Journey bring itto back Central to theand ground Western of Tigray the local (Dietrich people. R AUEAs Günther) Schlee states169 inDid the the Preface gold of: “theIn Aksumitesaddition to originate engaging in in Tigray? politics A report– and onthat is what social scientistsongoing do when research they becomeon local publictraditions intellectuals of gold mining and give in TigrayTV interviews – we should(Wolbert care about SMIDT keeping, in collaboration alive a perspective with GEBREMICHAEL in social science Nguse) that abstains 181 from value judgements and tries to describe the forces on the ground in their actual interplay. The realities described are not always beautiful, and that is why social scientists who abstain from such judgments andResearch try to Abstractsmodel the Sel ected abstracts of research projects in social sciences and humanities 1 Historian (PhD); Assistant Professor in the Department of History and Cultural Studies, Mekelle University.at Mekelle University 193 ITYOPIṢ vol. 2 (2012) ITYOPIṢ vol. 2 (2012) 141140 5