The Anglo-Ethiopian Society
Book Club - ONLINE - The Prince and the Plunder
Andrew Heavens
Tuesday 28th March 2023
Online event starting at 19:00 BST - Public event (all welcome to join).
Note - Register for the event on Eventbrite and you'll be emailed a Zoom link shortly before the event.
For this book club we're going to discuss The Prince and the Plunder by Andrew Heavens.
In 1868, British troops charged into the mountain empire of Ethiopia, stormed the citadel of its monarch Tewodros II and grabbed piles of his treasures and sacred manuscripts. They also took his son – six-year-old Prince Alamayu – and brought the boy back with them to the cold shores of England.
For the first time, Andrew Heavens tells the whole story of Alamayu, from his early days in his father’s fortress on the roof of Africa to his new home across the seas, where he charmed Queen Victoria, chatted with Lord Tennyson and travelled with his towering red-headed guardian Captain Speedy. The orphan prince was celebrated but stereotyped and never allowed to go home.
A story of adventure, trauma and tragedy, The Prince and the Plunder is also a tale for our times, as we re-examine Britain’s past, pull down statues of imperial grandees and look for other figures to commemorate and celebrate in their place.
Andrew Heavens has worked for newspapers and press agencies for almost thirty years, including six years as a reporter and photographer in Ethiopia and Sudan. He grew up in Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt, and lives in London.
Book a place using Eventbrite in order to be sent a link to the session. More registration details are on the Eventbrite page.
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The Prince and the Plunder by Andrew Heavens Publisher : History Press, 2023 ISBN : 9780750997362 (hardcover) UK RRP £22.99 ISBN: 9781803990903 (ebook) UK RRP £8.99 |