I read this over a year ago so I'll be brief. Excellent adventure memoir. Wonderful combination of history and present-day. We learn a lot about AfricI read this over a year ago so I'll be brief. Excellent adventure memoir. Wonderful combination of history and present-day. We learn a lot about Africa before Henry Morton Stanley's campaign to find Dr. Livingstone. Then the author, while working for the same newspaper that employed Stanley, sets out to trace HMS' own route into the heart of Africa, which takes him right through the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It is an exciting, harrowing and brutal account. Our author does not encounter too much friction or violence (unless you count army ants) but it is the stories he has recounted to him that paint the darkest picture.
This is not unusual for a tale of such a journey through Africa. But Butcher does a very good job to investigate when he can and to put the stories in contemporary and historical context.
Besides the wild adventure, the number one thing that this book left with me, a new concept that I had not run across in all of the Africa reading I've done, was the idea that the major thing colonial rule took from Africans was their sense of sovereignty. The rulers left in the wake of white rule would abuse the idea of sovereignty, while also not allowing their subjects and citizens to express it. And in many places, the people are not even able to. But Butcher argues that taking their sovereignty back from those that abuse it is the primary way for Africa to rise up and become a self-functioning, self-reliant continent again.
The fact that this book exists is amazing enough. Then, it is an interesting narrative of the world inhabited by actual 21st-Century pirates. Jay BahaThe fact that this book exists is amazing enough. Then, it is an interesting narrative of the world inhabited by actual 21st-Century pirates. Jay Bahadur goes damn-near gonzo, dropping himself into the middle of the Somali pirate world, searching for (almost hunting) and finding pirates to talk to, and comparing the stories he discovers with those of politicians, businessmen, paramilitary or state police squads (spoiler alert: those lines often blur) and plenty of other people to talk to in the pursuit of putting together the reasons why, and how, the pirates do what they do. The answers he finds are deeper and more complex than anything you thought you knew.
Desert Robin Hoods to some; international criminal thugs to others, the Somali Pirates are an interesting breed of modern law breakers. Ostensibly created to rid their seas of illegal fisherman, pirate bands began hunting fishing vessels in the early 1990s. Scoring larger "sums" either through cargo or ransom in the years following, as their country fell into civil war and anarchy around them and any measure of centralized law enforcement disintegrated, the pirates (or "Coast Guards") grew emboldened. Having few other opportunities to make a living, more young men fell under the allure of piracy until the waters from the Western Indian Ocean up into the Gulf of Aden became a maritime gauntlet for ships large and small alike.
Where Bahadur really succeeds is in his intrepid pursuit of first-hand accounts, most notably pirate leaders themselves. The first half of the book is comprised of introductions to a few main players, along with an overview of Somali history up until the attention-grabbing attacks of the late 00's. We are also led through the history of the local and international responses to (or sometimes lack thereof) pirate attacks, and the reasons for each. The water gets muddy in a hurry, and stays that way. The second half of the book moves a little bit quicker as it gets into more detail of some actual attacks and the subsequent holding of ships and hostages. Always leaving room for data to back up, or ven displace, his observations, Bahadur at one point breaks down the costs and returns of an operation that attacks and holds a ship for 70+ days, finding that the numbers end up greatly conflicting with those reported by the pirates. Turns out these guys make a lot less money than gets reported.
While never outright depicting the pirates as truly sympathetic characters - indeed the author runs into some pretty bad dudes at one point - Bahadur is fair and reasonable enough to present them in a measured, respectful manner that allows the reader an inside look into why they do what they do. He never strays into a clinical study and instead meets them on their terms, sometimes chewing khat with them for days before the questions start, just to gain trust. He gets people to truly open up to him. That their tales are often confusing and contradictory represents the complexity of a problem like piracy that blooms out of a broken state nestled on the corner of one of the most important trade neighborhoods in the world.
This book is truly a look inside what is otherwise, even to this student of Africa, an opaque world. It's good, intrepid, fearless (well that's not true; Bahadur admits to being pretty freaked out at times, betraying his own humanity) and data-supported journalism. And it reminds up that the people in those boats are human, too. ...more
I would ideally give this book 2.5 stars if Goodreads allowed it. It deserves the 2-star "it's ok" rating (because that's how I feel) plus a half-starI would ideally give this book 2.5 stars if Goodreads allowed it. It deserves the 2-star "it's ok" rating (because that's how I feel) plus a half-star simply for the effort Wood put forth in his quest. I have read a number of these man-on-an-epic-journey types of memoirs and Wood's quest to become the first person to successfully walk the length of the Nile River, from it's disputed source to the Mediterranean Sea, is right up there with all the others in it's audacity and breadth of scope. I even love almost any adventure or history that has to do with the African continent. Furthermore, Woods is a fine writer. My main problem was - it just simply didn't grab me.
Wood does a good job early in the book of explaining the reasons why the true source of the Nile is disputed and which of the various explorers of yore favored which sources. This is very interesting and paints a colorful enough picture of the mystery surrounding the world's longest river. He has a discernible admiration for said explorers and knows enough to not let himself wander too close to a direct comparison with them. Speke and Burton did not travel with a satellite phone, of course. He also possesses training and experience from time spent serving in the British military so we gather the notion that he can likely take care of himself in challenging situations in foreign lands and that it is not his first time tramping through villages in the developing world.
However, for all these qualities, though he is qualified and knowledgeable, much of the story is not captivating. Except for the part where he finds himself on the front lines of the civil war in South Sudan and another point in the walk that I won't mention due to spoilers, I never found myself sucked in.
The story is good and there are many memorable moments. I quite looked forward to picking up the book each time I did so, and found it pleasant to read. But I never felt a pull or tug toward the book as soon as a free moment arrived in my day the way I had with The Places In Between, and I certainly never felt the emotional and spiritual attachment to the man and the story I felt with Around Africa On My Bicycle.
It is a decent memoir of one man's crazy idea which he turned into reality. He also paints a very interesting picture of 21st Century Africa, above, below and inside the Sahara. He just doesn't give us the colors of a personality and the raw emotions of the ups and downs of such an epic march that I might have expected. It is difficult to distill a fantastic journey of 10 or so months into 300+ pages and give it all the color and texture it deserves.
This book is definitely worth a read for anyone interested in the Nile region of Africa or the effort one man will go to to complete a personal quest. It's just that I have a list of other books I might recommend before you get to this one.
This is a story about a young man's experience trying to make a difference in place seemingly devoid of hope. It is all the more unique of a story becThis is a story about a young man's experience trying to make a difference in place seemingly devoid of hope. It is all the more unique of a story because the person who becomes a self-made humanitarian leader also happens to fight for the US Marines. Rye Barcott takes us along on his very personal journey of how he came to be moved by his experience witnessing third world poverty as a young teenager to deciding to visit a slum in Nairobi to research youth communities and ethnic violence. During this time he decides to join the Marines and begins thus a delicate - and exhausting - balancing act to keep his two separate worlds on track. His enthusiasm and energy are palpable through the pages; and indeed they have to be. But the true glow of the book comes from his discovery the basic ingredients of leadership, his education of the shortcomings of the international aid systems, the portrayal of the drive and determination of the people he works with and the parallels he is able to draw between his experiences with the humanitarian world and the US military. Not all parts of his story are warm and fuzzy; the real world of slum life, NGOs and military service never are. But Barcott's resiliency in the face of setbacks and his own blossoming development as a young man and as a leader give the reader a modern blueprint for the attitude one must posses to find, and indeed to nurture, hope in hopeless places. ...more
This book is a remarkable, enthralling, encompassing study of the history of Africa. Literally beginning with tThis was either a 2011 or a 2012 read.
This book is a remarkable, enthralling, encompassing study of the history of Africa. Literally beginning with the physical formation of the continent itself, this book takes us through the emergence of humankind, civilization, trade and commerce, slavery, colonial conquest, post colonialism through to the present day. It might seem like a daunting, impossible task to present all of this information at once, but for the true student of Africa, it would be difficult to find a more enlightening tome to create the foundation of one's understanding of this continent. ...more
This is a very interesting book on two levels: 1) It portrays an on-the-ground, up-close view of raw life in the DR Congo on the eve of the 2006 presiThis is a very interesting book on two levels: 1) It portrays an on-the-ground, up-close view of raw life in the DR Congo on the eve of the 2006 presidential elections and their aftermath; and 2) It is written by a nascent, albeit very intelligent (he was a post-graduate mathematics student at Yale) journalist who is beginning his career by stepping off of a plane in Kinshasa and trying to find contacts. Not only does Sundaram show obvious and excellent skill in describing his environments and the people who inhabit them, he takes us along on his personal journey as he develops sources for news, chases stories and leads and tries to find paying editors for his work while navigating the urban and rural cultures of the DRC. He does all of this alongside the running narrative of his experience renting a room from a local family, whom a random contact of his from the US (his bank teller) has connected him too. Needless to say, there are no dull moments.
What impresses me perhaps the most from this book, among a handful of very worthy themes, is the way Sundaram literally places himself within the context of his story, physically, but living and working directly among the people he is covering. While other correspondents retire to Western-ish hotels at night, he washes in a flooded bathroom and listens to rats running along the rafters. We see glimpses of the mid-20th Century reporting style of Ryszard Kapuściński, which is very vibrant and refreshing, the embodiment of a true journalist's requisite driving curiosity and fearlessness. More accurately, it is because he pursues these stories at times in spite of his fear that makes the book all the more visceral and relatable to the reader.
I must point out what is probably my favorite scene in the book: the author is traveling up the Congo river to a distant city, shore-hopping from village to village surrounded by jungle. At one point he has hitched a ride on a canoe paddled and guided by three teenage boys. His discussions with them are just completely human, friend to friend, and sometimes foreigner to local. But mostly the four of them just talk as equals. To me this is a wonderful and potent example of the worlds and lives journalists are allowed, even invited, into, and a perfect illustration of why Anjan Sundaram is so good at what he does. ...more
This book was widely popular in Van Reybrouck's native Belgium when it first came out in 2010, and with good reason. He goes back to essentially prehiThis book was widely popular in Van Reybrouck's native Belgium when it first came out in 2010, and with good reason. He goes back to essentially prehistoric times and traces the history of the Congo (or today, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC) up until the times leading up to just a few years ago.
It is an expansive history which of course encompasses the history of Central Sub-Saharan Africa, and per usual much attention is given to colonial times, through independence and up until the present day. However, Van Reybrouck pulls this off without coming across as Eurocentric; instead he wonderfully incorporates what must have been hundreds of in-person interviews with more academic and political histories, using the personal narratives to illustrate and add life to the facts and dates. We get to witness the rise of the Congo Free State, the independence movement, the development of the resource economy, the accent of Mobutu and the kleptocracy that followed, all through the eyes, sounds and words of those who lived through these periods. He does actually interview two people who claim to be over 100 years old, and therefore provide an otherwise unlikely firsthand source to the horrors and corruption of the Free State period. The men's stories back up their alleged ages.
Any history of the Congo will include descriptions of some of the most inhumane acts and blatant evisceration of human rights ever recorded in print. This work is no different. While certainly not exclusive to the Congo, these parts of the nation's history are tough to read. I've read extensively about the Khmer Rouge period in Cambodia and am also well-read on the brutality of apartheid South African, and yet I still had to pause and reflect at times over what I was reading. But the histories of nations is rarely sparkling clean, and they certainly are not when Central Africa is concerned.
I enjoyed the book's depth of coverage of the independence period and the numerous players who were associated with this time. We get a well-explained background of how the structure of the independence government came about in 1960, including a not-always-flattering picture of Patrice Lumumba, Congo's first prime minister, who is often portrayed as a martyr for Congolese freedom to the West. While he indeed was a staunch supporter of independence, he, like all of the men involved, was not without fault and had little to absolutely no experience with how to run a country. Van Reybrouck presents all of these players, warts and all.
Then of course we get to witness the Mobutu regime in all of it's glory. His is largely a textbook story of a Mid-20th Century dictatorship and it's inevitable evolution (devolution?) into extreme, naked corruption and paranoia. But it is interesting to watch it unfold and I found that this book filled in many of the gaps I had in the history of this part of the world. It is interesting to see how Mobutu used the Cold War rivalries, and an almost "Second Scramble for Africa" to his advantage.
Finally, the only thing that bothered me about this book was something I've never encountered before - an amazing amount of typos, almost all included in the first few chapters. It was uncanny. I almost grabbed a red pen to mark them, just to keep count. I understand that this happens nowadays with all the spellcheck and editing programs being used. And, it must be noted, this is the first English-language edition as translated from the original Dutch. But read this edition and tell me if you think a human being (who was fluent in English at least, if not a native speaker) couldn't have read it over once and made the elementary-level corrections. Tsk tsk.
Overall, an excellent, vastly interesting and encompassing read on the history of this ravaged nation, a country which will only play a larger factor on the world scene as the 21st Century proceeds. ...more
Excellently written account of a journalist's journey through Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2007. He is intrepid and headstrong in his eExcellently written account of a journalist's journey through Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2007. He is intrepid and headstrong in his efforts to travel over ground and water to the city of Manono, deep in one of the most war-torn regions of the East. It is part travelogue and part reporting, with wonderful sketches of the characters and people he meets along the way. Rawlence shows a real gift for making friends with all kinds of people; shopkeepers, NGO workers, warlords, bureaucrats, etc. He continuously seeks and finds rides further and further south until he reaches his destination, all the while defying constant warnings from locals and expats that moving forward with his quest is dangerous and very well might kill him. After reading this brief synopsis, you might consider the author to be an adrenaline-seeking adventure junky; I can't tell you how far this is from the case. Rawlence becomes the consummate journalist, seeking the meat of the story and the details behind the main dish; he works his way through the country by being a fellow human to those he meets, and he is treated (relatively) well for his efforts.
My favorite segment is his journey south over Lake Tanganyika as he bounces from one seaside village to the next, by day and night. At one point he is ferried along by a group of teenage boys, and it is during this interesting leg of the trip that his humanity is exceptionally apparent, just in how he relates to the boys and chats in the darkness.
Rawlence is a fantastic writer and he certainly, for better or worse, paints with an optimistic brush. Congo is a tough place to be optimistic, and indeed I found an article online while I was reading Radio Congo where Rawlence writes, post-publishing of the book, that his optimistic vision didn't exactly work out. But no matter how the oscillation of this turbulent place revolved after he put paper to pen on his journey, this book is a marvelous record of what one man can accomplish in one of the world's most dangerous places, when he arms himself with simply guile, humanity and the journalist's commitment to curiosity. If perhaps his vision of a peaceful, prosperous Congo on the horizon remains days farther away than he first expected, Rawlence succeeds in showing us, and very much reminding us, that the best of humanity still mixes side-by-side with the worst, wherever that may be, and that we are all better off for noticing. ...more
This is an excellent overview of the reasons behind the ongoing conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It provides a lot of background This is an excellent overview of the reasons behind the ongoing conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It provides a lot of background to the problems, beginning with the Rwandan genocide, to the fall of Mobutu, to the mechanizations of the men who would fill the resulting power vacuum. We get well explained looks at the politics and economic issues of the region that help develop the current conditions there. It is obvious that Stearns worked extremely hard garnering access to people and places important in the conflict. He has a scholar's understanding of the issues crossed with a journalist's investigation on the ground. Overall I suggest this book to anyone looking to better understand the forces behind Africa's World War and the ongoing problems of the region. ...more
This is a reread from when I first read this book in college. I remembered it being very good then, and I found it even more insightful now. In the yeThis is a reread from when I first read this book in college. I remembered it being very good then, and I found it even more insightful now. In the years since my first turn with Kaffir Boy, I have visited South Africa twice (specifically Cape Town) and visited and worked in the townships. Even 24 years after the fall of apartheid, its scars are obvious and very real. Traveling through apartheid South Africa at the height of its barbarity with the youthful Mathabane is a lesson not only in brutal history but of what the human spirit can overcome with the right combination of determination, self-assurance and, plainly, help. Mathabane does an incredible job recounting vivid examples of the intolerable hardships his family, and blacks in general, faced before 1990; People living in inhumane conditions, treated as fourth-class citizens, literally lesser beings, dealing with a bureaucratic machine which held autonomy at the local level to profess indoctrinated rascim however it saw fit. Laws were created by the federal government which were all but impossible for the majority of black people to abide by, created an ironclad cycle of poverty and submissiveness. It is an appalling picture. It is also an extremely important picture to present; people need to realize, and remember that the horrid inhumanity and warped ideologies described by Mathabane existed up until 1990; more than a few times I found myself in awe considering how that could even be true. The story ends (SPOILER) in 1983, well before the fall of apartheid. So it was interesting to keep in mind that when he wrote this, the end was still no where in sight. Mark's dreams of a free South Africa run by a democratic government were destined to be realized, but of course we only know that in hindsight. How he kept fighting on through these interminable struggles redeems this story and to see his hard work pay off is worth the read. I only dock this title a star because it seemed like some of the episodes and conversations he recounts from his youth simply had to be embellished, or at least paraphrased or generalized. And while I am sure that some of this goes on in almost all memoirs (how do we write, word for word, a conversation we had at five when we are 25, not to mention 55?), and it in no way subtracts from the poignancy of his story, I just found myself thinking about it once in a while and I found that distracting. But otherwise, of course, Kaffir Boy deserves its place as one of the definitive first person accounts of black life in apartheid South Africa. ...more
Eichstaedt gives us one journalist/activist's view of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a basic history of why the violence is Eichstaedt gives us one journalist/activist's view of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a basic history of why the violence is happening. He attempts to weave together the histories of the various factions involved in the mess that is Eastern DRC, while recounting first and third-person stories of atrocities and corruption perpetrated but these groups. We get a good sense for how desperately violent the region can early in the book, and then a sometimes basic recounting of why the groups do what they do in the second half. We are brought to understand that corruption at all levels, easily available arms, wretched levels of poverty all feed into the ever-growing constant of a consumer demand for the minerals extracted from Congo's mines.
I feel there are parts of the book that seem like filler to get it to 200 pages (I'm still not clear why the chapter about Sudan exists in context to the issues in eastern DRC, but perhaps I just missed something) and I was distracted by the overuse of brackets constantly re-explaining which sides which groups where on. If you can't recognize that the FDLR backs the Hutu interahamwe by the midpoint of the book, for example, perhaps you need to find a different subject.
While there is good background information here on the conflict and the atrocities perpetuated by it, I thought the best chapters where the final two, where he finally looks into various actions by international rights groups and mineral groups and what can be done by them. The final chapter does this too, though the conclusions and questions he posits are obvious at that point anyway. It almost seems like he had the final two chapters written first and spent his time filling in the "why" with the rest of the book.
Again, it is a decent, if loose, overview of the who's, how's and why's of the catastrphic problem in eastern DRC. But continued reading on the subject is a good idea if you want to get down to the depth of the problems and their players. ...more
I first read this book about 10 years ago. Today, I understand far more about both the transition from apartheid to democracy in South Africa and photI first read this book about 10 years ago. Today, I understand far more about both the transition from apartheid to democracy in South Africa and photojournalism in places of conflict. I wanted to learn more about the Hostel War which took place in South Africa during the transitional period when the apartheid government was dismantled and non-racial democracy was established, 1990-1994. The violence taking place in the townships was referenced in Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom, which I read after my project in Cape Town, and so I reread this book to get a more details understanding of what happened and why.
The book is told from the point of view of Pulitzer Prize winning South African photojournalist Greg Marinovich. He and three colleagues, who become tight friends, cover the conflict in the townships as a new South Africa is literally forged day-by-day. The meat of the story takes place during the four year period mentioned above, and tells how each photographer got into journalism and traces their careers and lives during this time.
The book is factual and unrelenting; the four photographers and shown true, warts and all. There is tragedy in abundance, both in front of their lenses and behind. The images they make, the deeds they witness and the people they meet did and will continue to affect the men for the rest of their lives.
This is an excellent story of conflict photography, the birth of a new nation and how humans consume and process tragedy. ...more
Excellently written autobiography about one of the most interesting and influential lives of the 20th Century. Mandela's eloquence is only outdone by Excellently written autobiography about one of the most interesting and influential lives of the 20th Century. Mandela's eloquence is only outdone by the wisdom and the humanity he shows in fighting against the apartheid regime in South Africa. Granted, he has written his own story. But he reveals some of his lesser known warts and mistakes, which help fill out the portrait of the man who would become the father of his nation.
The book is also an excellent work about the history of the political organizations which became the main players in South Africa's transformation to democracy. We are given background on the birth of the African National Congress (a history Mandela recounted to his National Party counterparts on numerous occasions), a basic recounting of the birth of apartheid under the National Party rule and a strong narrative of the years of struggle which the ANC and other parties waged against the government.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the story of a man taking on seemingly insurmountable odds to achieve freedom for his people. Mandela's story is one of struggle, persistence, wisdom and humanity. ...more
Excellent historical account of the formation of 20th Century South Africa. Gripping narrative of the colonizing by the Dutch, their decline and the cExcellent historical account of the formation of 20th Century South Africa. Gripping narrative of the colonizing by the Dutch, their decline and the coming of the British. Then we follow as Britain bumbles through its own colonization practices until diamonds and then gold are discovered in the country's heartland. Cecil Rhodes arrives on the scene and does his thing, and Meredith deftly describes the growth of the Boer-British rivalry and eventual decent into war. I found this book fascinating and very approachable. Moderate knowledge of 19th Century British imperialism is helpful but not required. ...more
Overall: Highly recommended for any student or interested party in African history post-independence. Encapsulates almost every nation's evolution in Overall: Highly recommended for any student or interested party in African history post-independence. Encapsulates almost every nation's evolution in some form, with easily read narrative-style reporting. Some basic knowledge of the independence movement in Africa is helpful but not necessary. Some very graphic descriptions of extreme violence and tragedy.
Review:
Bob Geldof's quote on the book's cover is accurate: it is an excellent guide to understanding contemporary African politics and it is a fascinating book. Meredith's research and historical understanding, placement of the key players (both human and international) in the context of the times and captivating narrative make the nearly 800 page text progress like a (sometimes horrific) novel. However, the main line of understanding it caused me to come away with is that Africa post-independence has, by and large, been pilfered, pillaged and exploited by despotic, fanatical, greedy or just plain ignorant leaders, often with international assistance from inside and outside the continent, and this has in turn kept its people extremely poor and besieged by tragedy.
So despite the excellent insights into the various independence movements and detailed explanations describing the backgrounds and ascensions of various national leaders, I turned the last page of the book and couldn't help thinking, "That's it? Africa is so screwed up because of terrible native leadership since independence, the absolute lust these leaders had for power or money (or both), oscillating genocidal feuds based on tribal affiliation showing complete disregard for human life, with a heavy dose of Cold War proxy wars thrown in? All the while the continent's natural resources continued to be plundered for personal or extranational gain?"
Well, in a word, yes. That's it. No wonder Africa is so messed up.
Certainly my synopsis is a simplified summary of 50-plus years of complex issues and extreme events, but after working through this book I could only sit back with a clear head and produce this review. It is an enthralling read, no doubt, shedding light on many of the personalities and governments that shaped modern day Africa. But know that even for this hardened historian with a background in twentieth century genocidal conflicts and despotic ideological governments, this book contained episodes that made me have to put it down for a few days just to try and remember that the world (at least, the one I live in) is not a despicable hellhole of a place.
It is not Meredith's intention to leave the reader on a hopeful note, and he doesn't. He tells the facts through narrative and we readers must take them as we see them. These facts, after so much information without becoming dense, come together to paint a bleak picture of the birth of a modern continent. The reader must then supply, should he even choose to do so, his own hope for the next fifty-plus years in Africa.
It pains me to have to give this only two stars, as I became a huge fan of Manser's after reading Around Africa on my Bicycle. However, in order to stIt pains me to have to give this only two stars, as I became a huge fan of Manser's after reading Around Africa on my Bicycle. However, in order to stay true to the mission of reviewing the book here, I must admit I was slightly disappointed in the book overall.
Manser picks up his story almost immediately upon finishing the bicycle trip, and perhaps this is a harbinger of the essential problem this book will face. After the 800+ pages of Africa, it seems that he embarked upon this Madagascar manuscript intending to write another tome of expeditionary adventure. And for the first third of the book he is well on his way. He gets home to Cape Town, gets restless, decides to kayak around the fourth-largest island on Earth, builds a support team, trains, takes off on his journey, completes maybe a tenth of the overall journey up the northeast coast of the island and.....we are already half-way through the book. I looked at the map of Madagascar provided at the first of the book, looked at how relatively few pages remained and literally held the book out in front of me, wondering if a chunk had fallen out. How in the hell was he possibly going to complete the vast remainder of his adventure with only half of the book left?
Well, he continues his deft story telling and adventurous descriptions of almost every night's stop until he gets just about the the southern tip of the island. Then, he compresses the trip from the southern end all the way back up to his starting point, hundreds if not thousands of kilometers, into just a handful of chapters. You can literally see the point where either the editor said "This is WAY too long; cut it", or he simply had to make the deadline and wasn't finished. As I mentioned, rather disappointing.
I am certainly not lamenting Manser's approach, point of view or even his simple writing. It is this style that endears him to me and I would expect to many of his fans: his simple, straight-forward and very honest storytelling. He opens himself up beautifully. He is not a literary scholar and never pretends to be. He is an adventurer, a man of IMMENSE courage and bravery (or stupidity, as he regularly admits) and shouldn't be expected to turn out a benchmark of literature. But with incredible journeys like the ones he takes and then takes us on, I wish he would have the number of pages he deserves instead of thinking of possible book sales, or that he would have more help from those knowledgeable in constructing the story at a better pace.
Or, just tell us that nothing at all interesting happened along that stretch of southeastern coast worth writing about. But with Riaan Manser and his adventures, somehow I doubt that was the case. ...more
My god - I devoured this book over the course of a few days. I could not put it down. It was enthralling, tragic, exciting and angering.
This is the sMy god - I devoured this book over the course of a few days. I could not put it down. It was enthralling, tragic, exciting and angering.
This is the story of the technically successful US Ranger and Special Ops raid on the Somalian capital Mogadishu in the Fall of 1993 that resulted in two Black Hawk helicopters being shot down and their crews and rescue units stranded. Bowden did an incredible job earning access to the individuals involved in the events and putting together a story and timeline using testimony, radio tapes, government documents, etc. It paints a picture of an American military that perceived no viable threat to it's power and ability and gets a rude wake up call to the realities of fighting an urban war in a Third World country. It leaves the reader considering the larger issues of American foreign policy following the first Gulf War as it relates to 'nation building', involvement in foreign conflicts in general and manipulation of the UN. Fascinating read. ...more
I read this book under the title "Invictus", which coincided with the film of the same name.
This is a fabulous book. Carlin obviously had rather indeI read this book under the title "Invictus", which coincided with the film of the same name.
This is a fabulous book. Carlin obviously had rather indepth access to Mandela and also dedicated hours, months and years of research and interviews with other sources to produce this fantastic narrative. The book is not a story about rugby; the game itself serves and the central point only in that the narrative is told as a historical build up to the crescendo moment which is the 1995 Rugby World Cup final held in South Africa. Along the way, we get to learn about the amazing humanity displayed by Nelson Mandela as he won his release from prison, kept his nation from descending into chaos and violence, and forged a new mentality, and therefore a new future, for South Africa out of the crucible of apartheid.
An amazing read for all lovers of history and humanity. ...more
I have just added a new favorite author, Ryszard Kapuscinski. His work is completely amazing.
Kapuscinski was a Polish journalist who arrived in GhanaI have just added a new favorite author, Ryszard Kapuscinski. His work is completely amazing.
Kapuscinski was a Polish journalist who arrived in Ghana in 1957 as the first African correspondent of Poland's state newspaper. The career which would follow constituted of almost 50 years of covering the Dark Continent. Kapuscinski is a not just a journalist, an explorer or cultural scientist. He is an artist of words. His reporting is the height of what the writer and journalist can hope to achieve with his craft. Taking us back to the days when you there was not internet to google information from in an instant, Kapuscinski sets us down inside a bustling market in Mali, drops us on the blazing sand at noontime in Sudan and has us witness a gruesome coup de tat in Liberia, all with rich description and explanation that leaves us feeling as if we were along on his journeys.
This book is a collection of stories written over the entire span of his work in Africa. It shows a deep appreciation for the way of life only Africans can adhere to and also a high level of respect for it. Most of all, Kapuscinski sets the bar of correspondent journalism at its highest level, a leve so high that journalists who follow will never reach it, but will become all the better themselves just for trying.
I will continue to read his work, voraciously. ...more
This is a first-hand account of one child's experience becoming a child soldier during the civil war in 1990's Sierra Leone. The story is at times horThis is a first-hand account of one child's experience becoming a child soldier during the civil war in 1990's Sierra Leone. The story is at times horrifying and tragic. While the narrative is brutal, as the subject matter obviously suggests, Beah does not spend the entire time recounting massacres and pillage. Instead he spends a good amount of the book discussing his time just before being captured by the army and his then his reluctant rehabilitation following his release. As is explained by his author's biography he ends up taking advantage of an incredible opportunity to become an voice for current and former child soldiers.
A good and fast read. Be ready for some graphic war imagery. This is obviously not a pleasant book and the story speaks to the depths of human brutality. But it is just as astonishing in its ability to convey the elasticity and adaptability that Beah and his fellow young soldiers possess to be able to traverse those depths and eventually come back to the surface. ...more
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