About the Book

In this revelatory exposé, veteran foreign correspondent Michela Wrong shows how colonialism and power politics have had a dire effect on Eritrea, a small African nation whose embattled history echoes that of the entire continent.

Fascist Italy wanted Eritrea as the springboard for a new, racially pure Roman empire; Britain sold off the nation’s industry for scrap; the U.S. used it as the base for a state-of-the-art spy station, and the Soviet Union made it a pawn in a proxy war. Scarred by decades of conflict and occupation, Eritrea has also weathered the world’s longest-running guerrilla war. In I Didn’t Do It for You, Wrong traces how foreign cynicism forged a prickly and defiant nation.

Michela Wrong began her career as a foreign correspondent for the Reuters news agency. She spent six years covering the African continent for Reuters, the BBC, and the Financial Times. Her first book, In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu’s Congo, won a PEN award for nonfiction and was a New York Times Notable Book. She currently lives in London, and travels regularly to Africa.

“Contemporary history on the grand scale. I was entertained, informed and angered. Wrong has made another essential contribution to our understanding of the post-colonial scramble for Africa. A splendid achievement.” — John le Carré

Critical Praise

“Eloquent and impassioned . . . [A] splendid account of modern Eritrean history . . . Scrupulous and honest.” — New York Times

“Engaging history . . . A vivid story of a nation repeatedly trampled by foreign powers until it won its independence.” — New York Times Book Review

“A gripping political thriller.” — Monica Ali, author of BRICK LANE

“Contemporary history on the grand scale. I was entertained, informed and angered . . . A splendid achievement.” — John le Carré

“Wrong’s...original research is more illuminating, her eye more observant, her writing far more wry and witty.” — The Economist

“Vivid, penetrating, wonderfully detailed. Michela Wrong...has excavated the very heart and soul of the Eritrean people and their country.” — Aminatta Forna, author of THE DEVIL THAT DANCED ON WATER

“Engrossing, vividly written in the style of the best thrillers...It should become the standard work on the region.” — Anthony Sampson, author of MANDELA: The Authorized Biography

“A fascinating and tragic story . . . Wrong’s account [is] gripping.” — Daily Telegraph (London)

“A highly readable, well-researched depiction of the region’s serial exploitation by a parade of foreign predators.” — Washington Post Book World

“With rich prose and the passion she brings to the subject of [Eritrea’s] independence... Wrong provides a very readable journalistic.” — Los Angeles Times

“An engaging read... Devastating detail... This is probably the best book that could be written about Eritrea.” — Nation

“If you want to understand the world...I DIDN’T DO IT FOR YOU provides the best starting point.” — The Progressive

-

Product Details

• ISBN: 9780060780937
• ISBN 10: 0060780932
• Imprint: Harper Perennial
• On Sale: 06/13/2006
• Trimsize: 5.310 in (w) x 8.000 in (h) x 1.080 in (d)
• Pages: 480
• List Price: $18.99
• BISAC1 : HISTORY / Africa / East
• BISAC2 : BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Political
• BISAC3 : TRAVEL / Africa / General