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So, next a book an old pal of mine with whom I went to school in Africa send me for Christmas. A fascinating, compelling read - not only for us who knew most of the locations and the people's mentality well:
Amedeo: The True Story of an Italian's War in Abyssinia
by Sebastian O'Kelly
A love story set in Abyssinia, Eritrea and the Yemen. This is the story of Amedeo Guillet - an Italian cavalry officer who was sent out to Abyssinia as part of Mussolini's army to command a troop of 2000 Spahis, Arabian cavalry. He met and fell in love with Khadija - anl Ethiopian village chief's beautiful and indomitablle daughter, who became his constant companion during the early years of World War II. And she stayed with him right to the end, when he had only a ragged band of followers who alone were fighting on against the British as guerilla fighters after the rest of the Italian army had surrendered. Together they held up the British lorries heaving up the mountain road to Asmara and blew up the important bridges. After the British close in on him, and Amedeo's lost most of his followers he goes on the run, disguised as an Arab. He scrapes a living selling water and hiding from a British Captain of the intelligence service who's after him. Here story becomes one of two very particular men of exceptional valour and skills. Amedeo finally escapes across the Red Sea on a pirate shipt to the Yemen, only to be thrown in jail.
The British Captain, himself an outsider too, buys Amedo's horse and rides it to great triumphs, and when Italy changes sides in the 2nd WW both men finally meet and reach a kind of mutual understanding.
Old Amedeo Guillet lived in Eire for many years where he told the author Sebastian O'Kelly his life's story, who reserched it and add highly important and interesting information the aristocratic cavalry captain didn't know.
For once a true story that can stand up to the comparison with most epic fiction works.
Enjoy,
L'Etranger
Available also in the US as far as I can interpret Amazon and thelot.
an exemplary review http://www.rte.ie/arts/2002/0521/amedeo.html
Amedeo: The True Story of an Italian's War in Abyssinia
by Sebastian O'Kelly
A love story set in Abyssinia, Eritrea and the Yemen. This is the story of Amedeo Guillet - an Italian cavalry officer who was sent out to Abyssinia as part of Mussolini's army to command a troop of 2000 Spahis, Arabian cavalry. He met and fell in love with Khadija - anl Ethiopian village chief's beautiful and indomitablle daughter, who became his constant companion during the early years of World War II. And she stayed with him right to the end, when he had only a ragged band of followers who alone were fighting on against the British as guerilla fighters after the rest of the Italian army had surrendered. Together they held up the British lorries heaving up the mountain road to Asmara and blew up the important bridges. After the British close in on him, and Amedeo's lost most of his followers he goes on the run, disguised as an Arab. He scrapes a living selling water and hiding from a British Captain of the intelligence service who's after him. Here story becomes one of two very particular men of exceptional valour and skills. Amedeo finally escapes across the Red Sea on a pirate shipt to the Yemen, only to be thrown in jail.
The British Captain, himself an outsider too, buys Amedo's horse and rides it to great triumphs, and when Italy changes sides in the 2nd WW both men finally meet and reach a kind of mutual understanding.
Old Amedeo Guillet lived in Eire for many years where he told the author Sebastian O'Kelly his life's story, who reserched it and add highly important and interesting information the aristocratic cavalry captain didn't know.
For once a true story that can stand up to the comparison with most epic fiction works.
Enjoy,
L'Etranger
Available also in the US as far as I can interpret Amazon and thelot.
an exemplary review http://www.rte.ie/arts/2002/0521/amedeo.html