The Essential Guide to Amharic is a 150+ pages of grammar, phrases, and vocabulary for the national language of Ethiopia. All translations are spelled phonetically, as well as in the Amharic alphabet. The vocabulary section is organized by topic; greetings, foods, furniture, politics, occupations etc. There are over 200 verb definitions with simple conjugation. The grammar section includes in-depth information on how to conjugate verbs in the past, present and future; using adjectives, pluralizing words, asking questions, punctuation, and much more.

The Reader includes sample works of modern writers starting with the first story by Afewerk Ghebre Jesus written in 1908 up to the writings of the early 2000s, which continue Amharic literature in various genres. The Chrestomathy is supplemented with linguistic and cultural comments of lexical, grammatical and ethno-cultural nature. Short biographies of the writers are included. Ethiopian literature is justly considered young, though it is based on a very old cultural foundation. Its major benefit is the focus on an individual person displaying moral integrity and unity with the environment.

"People have been curious for many centuries about Ethiopia's stories left in stone. Recent archaeology is uncovering some fascinating answers. South of Axum, visitors can see the quarry where the tall stones that decorated Axum were carved--and can also see the form of a lioness that some human (or maybe, according to legend, the Archangel Michael) scratched onto the rock thousands of years ago. In 2012, a British archaeologist working in Ethiopia crawled under a stone carved with a sun and crescent moon, the and found a gold mine with an inscription in Sabaean, which, as she says, is "the language that the Queen of Sheba would have spoken." She adds, "The fact that we might have the Queen of Sheba's mines is extraordinary." In this book, you can see a few glimpses into some of the long stories of Ethiopia that are revealed in its cities and rural areas. An early-reader book in both English and Amharic."--Amazon.com.

Revolution, civil wars, and guerilla warfare wracked Ethiopia during three turbulent decades at the end of the 20th century. Here, Tareke brings to life the leading personalities in the domestic political struggles, strategies of the warring parties international actors, and key battles.