He only vaguely provides any more insights other than personal anecdotes (interesting as they are, i must admit) and general glances at the troubled history of Sierra Leone and Liberia. This book is his attempt at putting his record straight, but he fails. As Tim Butcher admits, his journalism career is at best mediocre in terms of reflecting the more underlying issues in Afria (he admits that the profession makes you simpyl report on the "now", without really considering the "why"). Whereas Tim Butcher's book on the Congo was vivid and exciting, although not by far the most informative, i found this one to be very boring and totally lacking in any insights into the country beyond the topics.
I personally thought this books was extremelly boring and much much a disappointment compared to his previous one.
I look forward to his next account, wherever he might go. Tim's companions, too, turned out to be perfect for his journey Johnson, Mr Omaru (his serious and taciturn guides)and David (his supportive and very agreeable UK companion) were possessed of endless patience, essential knowledge, and the ability to soldier on in very tough terrain. Their commitment was truly humbling to me, and an encouragement that restoration and transformation are still at work through such people, however small scale their domain. The people working at the grassroots end of aid were especially interesting - dedicated workers who clearly bring about real, lasting change within the limits of their finances, time and abilities. In the footsteps of Graham and Barbara Greene, he treks on foot through both Sierra Leone and Liberia, both countries he had reported from when they were involved in horrific civil wars.īutcher is a master of description - you can feel every blister, inhale every odorous note, picture the scenes of both beauty & devastation, feel the relentless sun on your back. This has a personal as well as historical element, since some colleagues died whilst he was in Sierra Leonne, and this was partly Butcher's way of working through the emotions the deaths had left behind. Tim Butcher has succeeded, yet again, in producing a fine and fascinating account of his most recent African journey.
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