The Abiy Project
God, Power and War in the New Ethiopia
Published on 20. June 2024
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-1-911723-10-3 (ISBN)
Description
In 2018, Ethiopia and the world were in the throes of 'Abiymania', a fervour of popular support for the divided country's young, charismatic new prime minister. Arriving as if from nowhere, Abiy Ahmed, a Pentecostal Christian, promised democratic salvation and national unity. For his role brokering a historic peace with neighbouring Eritrea, he received the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. Hailed at home as a prophet and abroad as a liberal reformer, Abiy was all things to all men.
But his democratic revolution wasn't quite what it seemed. Within two years, Ethiopia had lurched into a devastating civil war, threatening state collapse. By 2023, fighting on an apocalyptic scale had killed hundreds of thousands in the northern Tigray region; famine stalked the land; and Ethiopia's once-promising economy lay in tatters. But Abiy had never looked stronger.
Based on hundreds of interviews with Ethiopians of all persuasions, and extensive reporting across the country, this book traces the fading hope of Ethiopia's transition, unravelling the paradoxes of an enigmatic world leader. Despite everything, Abiy remains in power, embodying the new Ethiopia in all its contradiction, triumph and tragedy. But his attempt to remould the country in his image almost broke it - and may break it still.
But his democratic revolution wasn't quite what it seemed. Within two years, Ethiopia had lurched into a devastating civil war, threatening state collapse. By 2023, fighting on an apocalyptic scale had killed hundreds of thousands in the northern Tigray region; famine stalked the land; and Ethiopia's once-promising economy lay in tatters. But Abiy had never looked stronger.
Based on hundreds of interviews with Ethiopians of all persuasions, and extensive reporting across the country, this book traces the fading hope of Ethiopia's transition, unravelling the paradoxes of an enigmatic world leader. Despite everything, Abiy remains in power, embodying the new Ethiopia in all its contradiction, triumph and tragedy. But his attempt to remould the country in his image almost broke it - and may break it still.
Reviews / Votes
'Groundbreaking ... Its every page eye-opening, The Abiy Project is a testament to truth, justice, and human dignity during a hellish period of Ethiopian history.' -- <b><I>Los Angeles Review of Books</I></b> 'Essential reading for those interested in understanding how individual ambition and structural factors combine to mold a leader's choices.' * <b><I>Foreign Affairs</I></b> * 'The tale Gardner tells is a tragedy of how magical thinking led to extraordinary brutality and mass starvation. And the story is not over.' -- <b><I>Literary Review</I></b> 'An intimate, unsettling portrait of the man who would be emperor [...] a compelling analysis.' -- <b><I>Mail & Guardian</I></b> 'A captivating story ... it is a timely read, but one that also speaks productively to various scholarly debates and will therefore remain an important source for students of Ethiopia for years to come.' * <b><I>Reading Religion</I></b> * 'Essential reading for anyone who wants to learn about Ethiopia's unraveling under this bizarre leader.' -- <b><I>The American Conservative</I></b> 'A nuanced, unsparing examination of a leader trying to hold together a republic being undone by its imperial legacy.' -- <b><I>African Arguments</I></b> '[This] will serve as a standard book about this remarkable leader for a long time to come.' -- <b><I>NRC</I></b> 'Meticulously researched ... an invaluable go-to resource for anyone who wants to understand a highly complex chapter in Ethiopian history--a chapter that is yet to end.' -- <b><I>African Studies Review</I></b> 'Tom Gardner is an exceptional journalist, and this essential book showcases his intelligence, thoughtfulness and considerable writing skills.' -- <b>Fergal Keane, former Africa Editor, BBC News</b> 'This is "the" book on Abiy Ahmed, the ambitious and messianic leader of Ethiopia. Gardner assembles the complex pieces in the Ethiopian puzzle, making this essential reading for anyone hoping to understand the causes of the past, present and future conflicts of the Horn of Africa.' -- <b>Jon Lee Anderson, staff writer, <i>The New Yorker</i></b> 'The rise, fall and rise of Abiy Ahmed, Nobel Peace Prize winner and prosecutor of one of the world's bloodiest civil wars, is a compelling and confusing tale of our age with ramifications well beyond Ethiopia. We could wish for no better guide than Tom Gardner, who knows the story inside out and who conveys it in clear, crisp prose and with trenchant analysis.' -- <b>David Pilling, Africa Editor, <i>Financial Times</i></b> 'A very important work, packed full of detail and nuance, which will remain a must-read for anyone who is seriously interested in the Horn of Africa for decades to come. I learn something I didn't know with every page.' -- <b>Michela Wrong, journalist and author of <I>Borderlines</I> and <I>Do Not Disturb</I></b> 'A riveting, detailed autopsy of Ethiopia's heartbreaking journey to the brink of state collapse in a mere five years. Essential reading-even for a seasoned Ethiopia observer-to fully comprehend the myriad factors that have led to wanton bloodshed and human suffering under the watch of a Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister.' -- <b>Zecharias Zelalem, award-winning journalist and Ethiopian press freedom advocate</b> 'Skilfully woven together with a journalist's eye for detail, a historian's knack for perspective, and a storyteller's gift for making a complex story accessible, this sobering account of Ethiopia's recent history is poised to become required reading for future scholars, diplomats, and policymakers.' -- <b>Abadir M. Ibrahim, Associate Director, Human Rights Programme, Harvard Law School</b> 'An outstanding book, which will serve as a foundational text for anyone seeking to understand the complex developments in Ethiopia since the installation of its new prime minister.' -- <b>Christopher Clapham, Professor Emeritus, Centre of African Studies, University of Cambridge</b> 'An important book that sheds new light on a complex and controversial chapter of Ethiopia's recent past. Analysts of Ethiopia and the broader Horn of Africa will read, engage and debate its insights for years to come.' -- <b>Michael Woldemariam, Associate Professor, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland</b> 'This is excellent. The book is not simply an account of the war; it tells of Abiy's career in all its dimensions and ramifications--political, economic, social, ethnic, religious, diplomatic, all handled superbly.' -- <b>Paul Gifford, Professor Emeritus, SOAS University of London</b> 'A very important work, packed full of detail and nuance, which will remain a must-read for anyone who is seriously interested in the Horn of Africa for decades to come. I learn something I didn't know with every page.' -- <b>Michela Wrong, journalist and author of <i>Borderlines</I> and <I>Do Not Disturb</I></b>More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Illustrations
16 Illustrations, color
Dimensions
Height: 238 mm
Width: 166 mm
Thickness: 41 mm
Weight
848 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-911723-10-3 (9781911723103)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
06/2024
1st Edition
Hurst Publishers
from
€55.99
Available for download
Person
Tom Gardner moved to Addis Ababa in 2016 as The Economist's Horn of Africa Correspondent. He covered Ethiopia during its most tumultuous years in decades, travelling to all corners of the country before his expulsion by the Abiy Ahmed government at the height of the Tigray war in 2022. Since 2024 he has been The Economist's Africa Correspondent based in Nairobi.