About this title: Ever since Stanley first charted its mighty river in the 1870s, the Congo has epitomised the dark and turbulent history of a failed continent - from colonial cruelty under the Belgians to the kleptocratic chaos of Mobutu Sese Seko and the current post-apocalyptic riot of robber-baron politicians. However, its troubles only served to increase the ...
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Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage Books
Date Published: 2008-05-27
ISBN-13:9780099494287ISBN:0099494280
Description: New. Pre-release ARC book with different cover and publisher stickers. New, unread, unused & in perfect condition with no damaged or missing pages. Great Copy. Ships Lightning Fast. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780099494287ISBN:0099494280
Description: Good. PAPERBACK BOOK-GOOD OVERALL CONDITION-TRUSTED DEVON (UK) BASED SELLER-IN STOCK-SENT WITHIN 1 WORKING DAY-AVAILABLE BY EMAIL FOR QUERIES-NO QUIBBLE REFUND IF NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED- read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780099494287ISBN:0099494280
Description: Very Good. Family business dispatching books to all over the world within 24/48 hours. Next day delivery and gist wrapping are available. read more
Description: Good. Ships from the UK. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Your purchase also supports literacy charities. read more
Description: Good. Ships from the UK. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Your purchase also supports literacy charities. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780099494287ISBN:0099494280
Description: Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780099494287ISBN:0099494280
Description: Good. This is an EX-LIBRARY COPY. We only offer carefully selected, quality books, in this category. The normal stamps and labels may be present and the front flysheet has been tidily removed. The supplying library will benefit financially from your purchase. This book is in GOOD overall condition. It shows signs of having been read and has general light wear to the cover, spine and pages. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage Books
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780099494287ISBN:0099494280
Description: Good. Travel. When Daily Telegraph correspondent Tim Butcher was sent to cover Africa in 2000 he quickly became obsessed with the idea of recreating H. M. Stanleys famous expedition-but travelling alone. Despite warnings that his plan wa s suicidal, Butcher set out for the Congos eastern border with just a rucks ack and a few thousand dollars hidden in his boots. Making his way in an as sortment of vessels including a motorbike and a dugout canoe, helped along by a cast of characters from UN ... read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780099494287ISBN:0099494280
Description: Fine. Minor bumping to edges and extremities, otherwise brand new & unread. Next working day dispatch from the UK. Please contact us with any queries. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 03/01/2008
ISBN-13:9780099494287ISBN:0099494280
Description: Used-Good. Book in good or better condition. Dispatched same day from warehouse. Please email with any questions for quick response. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780099494287ISBN:0099494280
Description: New. The author set out for the Congo's eastern border with just a rucksack and a few thousand dollars hidden in his boots with the idea of recreating H M Stanley's famous expedition. This book tells of the author's journey and the story of Congo; as he ma... read more
Description: New. PLEASE NOTE: All books are promptly imported from the UK using DHL or Royal Mail international mail WITH TRACKING NUMBER. D elivery is typically 5-10 working days. Please do not select expedited shipping. Professional and reliable bookseller (est.1987). read more
"This was an interesting book and gave a lot of good history about the Congo. I thought the author was a big complainer about the hardships of the trip (what the heck did he think!) and I was sorry he didn't say anything at all about the animals or plants encountered along his route. That would have greatly enriched the book. Still, I liked it."
"What is it with me and muggy, hot, equatorial places and rivers? Like the book The Lost City of Z by David Grann, Blood River recounts the tale of Tim Butcher's crazy obsession to the trace the routes of a great explorer, Stanley in this case, through the Congo. While the rest of the world has become more accessible in the past half century, these two equatorial locales on different continents show that winning a battle (finding a route, establishing a forward post, or even building a city) is not winning a war (creating a functioning state). Vegetation has reclaimed much of the railway in the Congo, and once busy trading hubs have fallen into disrepair with no functioning services. Rule of law is unknown. Despair is endemic.
In a way, the Congo may be a perfect example of how bad things can get when a state goes so wrong that great wealth of a few is squandered in the face of the unbounded poverty of the majority. And the resources are there for everyone to share in the future. All I could think was to have millions and millions of people descend on the Congo at once--the equivalent of holding a thrashing baby to silence it--and rock it into silence, until it unclenched enough to learn and notice there might be a better way to get what one needs. It is a terrible waste. Mankind is not always to be admired. We need to find a way to bring out the best in the Congo."
"I went into this book with high expectations: Butcher was going to travel across The Congo, one of the most dangerous countries in the world, at a time when things were particularly dangerous for anyone without a gun. He was following in the footsteps of the famous explorer Stanley, following the Congo River from headwaters to the Atlantic.
For about 2/3 of the book, I was happy. Butcher wasn't just talking about his travels; he talked to people, learned more about Congo's history of violence, and weasled his way out of tough situations.
Then the "they-all-got-sick-and-died" syndrome hit: this is what happens when someone is tired of writing--they kill off the characters and end the book. Butcher's second half of the trip flies by and there's nothing to really keep the reader interested.
Tom Thomson, you would like this book! I picked this off of my daughter's book shelf last night and can't put it down. She read a review of it in Outside Magazine and found it to be a fascinating and passionately told account of the author's recreation of Stanley's exploration of the Congo River in Africa. Already I see that it has the elements of all my favorite books: historical and political insights about a part of the world of which I'm woefully ignorant, travelogue, biography of many intriguing (and often evil) characters that populate Africa's history, and nail-biting adventure story written by a seasoned journalist who is crazy enough and brave enough to embark on a journey that everyone else said was suicidal.
Note after finishing: The ending was a bit of a fizzle, but how on earth could it compete with his heart-pounding adventure down the Congo River? That he even GOT to the end alive was nothing short of a miracle. I really enjoyed this book and felt that its glimpse of a culture and society that seems, by our standards, to be going backwards instead of forwards, was morbidly fascinating. Unlike some other authors who want only to heap blame on colonialists, this author did a good job of telling the story and letting us judge for ourselves. Certainly there have been atrocities and wrongs, but it does not overwhelm the story. It does leave you wondering what on earth the future holds in store for that part of the world.
The writing itself was sufficiently vivid for anyone's vicarious pleasure. I felt as though I were along for the adventure without the life-threatening aspects. Now I want to read Leopold's Ghost."
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