The Chains of Heaven: An Ethiopian Romance (non-fiction)

Rated by Andrew Farrow, Devizes, Wiltshire on 19th April 2006

Philip Marsden returns to Ethiopia in 2003, having been entranced by the country during a short visit in 1982. This time he hires a guide and a succession of mules to walk across the north. He explores churches, meets a variety of monks and discusses Ethiopian history. You have to admire his courage and persistence as he sweats and climbs with his mules through the mountains - why doesn't he catch a bus? But he makes it all the way to his final destination without a vehicle, and gives a real insight into the country. In the beginning he writes "if there is any purpose to our time on earth, it is to understand it...to celebrate its heroes and its wonders - in short, to witness it". Witness it he does. Through his book I've gained an understanding of Ethiopia. And now I'd love to go there. What greater vindication of the success of a travel book could you want?

Rated by Minkle MacTinkle, A rock at the edge of the known world on 6th May 2007

I read this on the strength of Marsden's other book: "The Crossing Place", he seems to have a knack for writing books about countries I'm slightly obsessed with. I hate to get bogged down in cliches but this is another modern classic. Within any travel book there needs to be a sound motivation for the journey, without this central motivation it often seems like somebody is just writing a book for money, or doing something to please a publisher. All my cynicism was left behind as I followed Marsden and his numerous guides through both the difficult topography and turbulent history of Ethiopia. I recommend this book to casual readers in search of some escape or serious students of history and theology. The strong point of the book is that he undertakes the journey on foot so we get highly lyrical descriptions, written from someone who has had alot of time to compose their thoughts and take in surroundings. There has been little written about Ethiopia and it is still tarred with images from news footage of famines. Marsden offers us a new reflection on a truly unique place, unique in culture, customs and in it's general isolation from the West and the rest. If you intend on learning more about this quirky corner of Africa I recommend reading both "The Emperor" and "The Pale Abyssinian".

Rated by Amazon Customer on 26th February 2006

Philip Marsden is without doubt the most important and erudite writer concerned with Africa today. This book will change the way you think.