The first volume covers 1892–1937, from Haile Selassie's birth until the
Second Italo-Ethiopian War. He began writing it while in exile in
Bath, England during that war; it covers his life and the administration and
modernization of Ethiopia up to that point. The second volume covers 1936–1942, and Ethiopia's occupation by Italy and return to independence. Both volumes were edited extensively by assistant writers after Haile Selassie I's return to Ethiopia. They were published in Ethiopia in 1973 and 1974; English translations were published in 1976 and 1999, respectively. Haile Selassie I wrote with an eye towards the political impact of publication, and addressed questions about the legitimacy of his power and position, and about his flight into exile in 1936. He published the books while he was still in power, shortly before he was deposed in a military coup in 1974. In 1976 it was translated from
Amharic into English and annotated by
Edward Ullendorff in an
Oxford University Press publication. == Quotes ==