Shallow Graves

'This deeply moving book gets beneath the skin of Eritrea, like nothing that has been written about that haunting--and haunted--country. It is a book to be treasured.' -- Christopher Clapham, Centre of African Studies, University of Cambridge 'This is a vivid, first-hand account of one of Africa's least reported but bloodiest wars. It is beautifully written and Richard Reid's reconstruction of these tragic events has the ring of authenticity.' -- Martin Plaut, Senior Researcher, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, and author of 'Understanding Eritrea' and 'Understanding South Africa' 'I haven't been able to stop thinking about Richard Reid's book since I read it. 'Shallow Graves' is an intensely personal, honest and gripping history of a war that few outside the region understood or even knew about.' -- Mary Harper, BBC Africa Editor 'Reid has unparalleled insiders' access to local actors' perspectives. He captures the mud, blood and pain of futile conflict. Accessible, and lucidly written, this account fills an important gap in our understanding of a bloody and senseless war.' -- Gaim Kibreab, Research Professor, London South Bank University 'Shallow Graves offers the reader unparalleled access to actors who have witnessed and shaped Eritrea's history. For those seeking context for recent developments in the region, it also provides an essential background to the 2018 Eritrean-Ethiopian peace agreement, and the current joint Ethiopian-Eritrean offensive in Tigray. This engaging, persuasive, and persistently insightful book forces us to reconsider the human impact of this brutal war afresh and suggests new ways of communicating and interrogating history.' -- African Studies Review