A New York Times article recently included this line: "Eritrea has not been in the news lately. That statement has pretty much been true for as long as newspapers have existed..."
The Book
Then one day I was walking through Kramer Books on Dupont Circle in Washington, DC when I found a brand new book about Eritrea, I Didn't Do It for You: How the World Betrayed a Small African Nation. I was even more excited to see the book was written by Michela Wrong, a serious journalist who wrote a great book on Congo a few years ago titled In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz.I interviewed Wrong when the Congo book came out, and you can see the transcript here.
Eritrea's Mystical Spell
Despite my respect for Wrong, I must admit that I was a little skeptical as I cracked open the book. The land and people of Eritrea seem to hold an almost mystical spell on outsiders. Everyone who visits, myself included, is so charmed by the spirit of the place, I wondered if Wrong would be able to deliver a clear-eyed report.I had no need to worry. Wrong delivers a great, easy-to-read history of this sliver of land fought over by nearly all the great powers of the West. She captures all that is good about Eritrea, but she doesn't flinch as she describes the dark side of the Eritrean revolution and how some of the worst tendencies in the national spirit have taken over in recent years.
As always, Wrong's writing is filled with telling anecdotes that breath life into history. These stories fill one chapter titled "Blow Jobs, Bugging and Beer" where we learn about the decadent lifestyle at Kagnew Station in Eritrea. Evidently, Eritrea's location made it the perfect spot to spy on radio transmissions for thousands of miles around. Kagnew became America's premier Cold War listening post. But those posted there did anything they could to break the tedium of their assignments, and local residents bore daily witness to the worst "ugly American" behaviors.
Sylvia's Role
Most intriguing is Wrong's inclusion of a chapter about Sylvia Pankhurst. Pankhurst was an activist who struggled diligently to gain the right for British women to vote. In the late 40's and throughout the 50's, Pankhurst worked to uncover how the British looted post-war Eritrea and Ethiopia after taking over the colonies from defeated Italy. Pankhurst became something of a crank on the matter but has since been proven right by the historical record. I can't help but wonder if other historians (yes, males) would have relegated Pankhurst to a footnote or simply passed over her contribution altogether. But Wrong's storytelling instincts rightly bring Sylvia to center stage.I highly recommend this book not just because it highlights a frequently overlooked part of the world, and not merely because it is a good read. Most importantly, the book tells a story which applies to almost every corner of Africa and more...the story of proud people forced to deal with the callousness of colonialism and all that colonialism left in its wake. How I wish Eritrea were the only country used as a pawn and then left to fend for itself in the world.
