A war-time love story set in Abyssinia, Eritrea and the Yemen.
This is the story of Amedeo Guillet - an Italian cavalry officer who was sent out to Abyssinia as part of Mussolini's army to establish and command a troupe of 2000 Spahis - or Arabic cavalry. He met and fell in love with Khadija - a beautiful Ethiopian Muslim who become his constant companion during the early years of the Second World War. Together they held up the British lorries heaving up the mountain road to Asmara and blew up the important Ponte Aosta. She had always been at his side, until the day a British captain had recognised Amedeo and opened fire with a machine-gun.
Amedeo goes on the run, disguised as an Arab. He scrapes a living selling water and hiding from the British before escaping across the Red Sea on a pirate ship. The pirates discover he is a Christian and dump him in the desert. He eventually makes it to the Yemen, only to be thrown in jail.
Amedeo is still alive and living in County Meath, Ireland. Sebastian O'Kelly is a journalist for the 'Mail' and the 'Telegraph' and has Amedeo's full co-operation in writing this book. He is producing a documentary on Amedeo's war in Abyssinia which will trace what happened to Khadija and find out if she is still alive.
