Donald Crummey received his Ph.D. in African History from the School of Oriental and African Studies at London University in 1967. From 1967 to 1973 he was a member of the History Department of what is now Addis Ababa University. In 1973 he joined the faculty of the University of Illinois where he is Professor Emeritus. He is the author of numerous articles on Ethiopian history. His current interests are reflected in two recent books: Land and Society in the Christian Kingdom of Ethiopia: From the Thirteenth to the Twentieth Century (University of Illinois Press, 2000); and African Savannas. Global Narratives and Local Knowledge of Environmental Change (James Currey Publisher, 2003), which he coedited with Thomas J. Bassett.