Theodore M. Vestal. The Lion of Judah in the New World: Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and the Shaping of Americans' Attitude toward Africa. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger, 2011. xv + 231 pp. Photo Essay. Notes. Selected Bibliography. Index. $44.95. Cloth.

Abstract

BIOGRAPHY Theodore M. Vestal. The Lion of Judah in New World: Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and Shaping of Americans' Attitude toward Africa. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger, 201 1 . xv + 231 pp. Photo Essay. Notes. Selected Bibliography. Index. $44.95. Cloth. present-day Ethiopia, begins this fascinating book, few know just how popular their monarch was in New World (xi). This is valid observation, but we could also say same about younger generation in present-day America. Compared to situation in past, image of Ethiopia in minds of most Americans is much less positive today, and far fewer Americans have memories of Haile Selassie. Vestal claims that the images of Africa and of Africans that American people developed during Haile Selassie's prominence will no doubt be referred to by historians, psychologists, and sociologist - as well as media - as having played part in election of Barack Obama as president in 2008 (xiii). This claim cannot be determined empirically, but this book is nevertheless invaluable for at least three groups of scholars: experts and students of Africa, comparative historians, and political scientists. For Africanists, it contains rich data about long-reigning monarch in northeast Africa which have either been unknown before or not systematically organized. There is much in book about personality and political instincts of Haile Selassie, especially as they pertain to his foreign policies. Comparative historians will benefit from its accounts of monarch's perspectives on pan-Africanism and collective security. And political scientists will have much to learn here about nuances of relationship between weak state in periphery and rising global power. Clearly many Americans were fascinated by Emperor Haile Selassie. In 1954 New York Times wrote that he was a man of courage, intelligence and great humanity (89), and it printed full text of his speech to joint session of U.S. Congress. In period of less than ten years, Haile Selassie was twice named Time magazine's man of year. American presidents who knew Haile Selassie, too, were unreserved in their praise for African monarch. During his first state visit to U.S. in 1954 Dwight Eisenhower described him as a defender of freedom and supporter of progress (53), and he was appreciative of emperor's decision to send Ethiopian troops to fight alongside Americans in Korea. Harry Truman by and large ignored him, perhaps because relationship between two countries was stable and Truman was preoccupied with emerging challenge from Soviet Union. …