3 Books by Ryszard Kapuściński

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3 Books by Ryszard Kapuściński

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Shah of ShahsThe EmperorAnother Day of Life • On the Bookshelf

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On a brisk winter day, I was perusing Sloan Square with a friend of mine as we stumbled upon a bookstore. One of those bookstores that is covered from wall-to-wall. As we ran our finger across the new spines, skimmed the titles and took in the smell of new books and untouched pages we came across Kapuściński. My friend shared her knowledge of Kapuściński who was a Polish reporter, journalist, author, photographer and more. His coverage of key historical moments that has shaped the world today is absolutely enthralling and I was curious to sit inside the head and experience the memoiries of Ryszard Kapuściński. If you’re ever looking for books by Ryszard Kapuściński then I suggest reading with an imaginative mind. He uses strong imagery to explain each historical moment and his reflection. It brings everything to life!

3 Books by Ryszard Kapuściński
3 Books by Ryszard Kapuściński

Shah of Shahs

One of the books by Ryszard Kapuściński is narrative of the demise and fall of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. Not an analysis, but an emotional elucidation of the citizens’ thoughts and feelings during the revolution and description of photographs captured during 1970s Iran. Additionally, there are notes deciphering Iran as a ‘behemoth of riches’ and the juxtaposition of the Shah living like a wealthy European and his citizens living in a constant state of fear constantly terrorized by the secret police. Though I know this historical moment well from my college courses, I was very fascinated by Kapuściński’s description of society. Those are the bits we don’t really get to hear or read about.

The Emperor

The deposition of Haile Selassie in 1974 ended the ancient rule of the Abyssinian monarchy, which is about the time Kapuściński travelled to Ethiopia to interview surviving courtiers to tell their stories. Their narrative depict the equally lavish and corrupt world they lived in, describing daily rituals they were forced to practice for the ruler to maintain absolute power. Parties alongside powerful world leaders, omens in the sky, courtiers going missing, it’s fascinating to actually see the fall of the empire unfold. This one was my favorite of all the books by Ryszard Kapuściński.

Another Day of Life

Kapuściński’s employers when he was a journalist sent him to Angola to cover the civil war that had erupted post-independence. He observed groups and individuals throughout the civil war and with whomever he spoke to he defined the meaning of political abstractions. If you’re looking for good political journalism and literary writing then this is one of the books by Ryszard Kapuściński that you have to read!

3 Books by Ryszard Kapuściński

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