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Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart | 
 enlarge | Author: Tim Butcher
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy New: £2.95
You Save: £5.04 (63%)
New (42) Used (15) from £1.74
Rating:  56 reviews
Sales Rank: 37
Media: Paperback
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 4.9 x 1
ISBN: 0099494280
EAN: 9780099494287
ASIN: 0099494280
Publication Date: January 3, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new and in stock. Same-day dispatch. UK seller. Overseas delivery via priority airmail. Our delivery rates are very fast worldwide, please check our feedback for proof of a quality service.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk
JOHN LE CARRE Quite superb…..a masterpiece WILLIAM BOYD Tim Butcher's extraordinary, audacious journey through the Congo is worthy of the great 19th century explorers. Completely enthralling but also a thoughtful and sobering portrait of modern Africa ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH A remarkable, fascinating book by a courageous and perceptive writer. One of the most exciting books to emerge from Africa in recent years. THE SUNDAY TIMES Tim Butcher's book is the latest in a long line, running through Joseph Conrad, Graham Greene, VS Nai-paul… his account of a hair-rising trip from east to west, against all advice, by motorbike and then river boat, is gripping and harshly informative… MAX HASTINGS Blood River represents a remarkable marriage of travelogue and history, which deserves to make Tim Butcher a star for his prose, as well as his courage. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH From his adventure he has plundered a wealth of terrific stories, and survived to recite a rosary of unstinting horror. FERGAL KEANE This is a terrific book, an adventure story about a journey of great bravery in one of the world's most dangerous places. It keeps the heart beating and the attention fixed from beginning to end. HATCHARDS …unputdownable… GILES FODEN An intrepid adventure... Tim Butcher has followed in the footsteps of Stanley and Conrad. It takes a lot of guts to yomp through the Congo and he obviously has plenty of those. But it is the wit and passion of the writing which keeps you engrossed. THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH ..stirring and thought-provoking. AESTHETICA MAGAZINE ….a remarkable travelogue of exquisite proportions…. highly emotive, historical and personal…Butcher's elegant style demands the reader's attention…….Blood River is nothing short of a modern-day masterpiece. WANDERLUST What makes Blood River such a compelling read is the fact that the journey becomes an exercise in mental terror, the author skilfully conveying the exhaustion of six weeks on tenterhooks, wondering what might happen just around the next bend. THOMAS PAKENHAM Tim Butcher deserves a medal for this crazy feat. I marvel at his courage and his empathy with the unfortunate Congolese... ESQUIRE …gripping… TRAVEL AFRICA The past meets present in this enthralling travelogue through the depths of the Congo.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 51 more reviews...
 Is this man mad? July 8, 2008
Initially, Tim Butcher's account of his "insanely dangerous" trip through the Congo raises the question why? Why put yourself through the very real risks of being captured or killed by the numerous rebel groups that infest the country? Why endure the mind-numbing boredom of hundreds and hundreds of kilometres on the back of motorcycles negotiating stiflingly hot jungle tracks? Why bother to retrace Stanley's already well documented expedition down the Congo river? Is this man mad?... certainly most of those he meets on this very strange journey think so.
But, mad or not, what he discovers makes for fascinating reading as he and we are taken into the heart of what has become an unbelievably shocking world... one that has degenerated in 50 years from colonial discipline & order to complete and apparently irreversible anarchy. The roads are gone, the railways are gone, the buildings have been consumed by the jungle; there is no law and little or no administrative structure; towns have no electricity, clean water or medicine; bribery, theft and casual violence are rampant; people live in constant fear of raids from rebel groups, and tens (possibly hundreds) of thousands are killed each year simply because they are in the wrong tribe or the wrong place. Sure, there are other third world countries in such a terrible condition but few with the huge natural resources and riches of the Congo, few where this state of affairs has existed for so long, and few that receive so little attention from the rest of the world.
Critics of the book suggest that the picture he paints is over-stated and that his grasp of the Congo's history is flawed - unless you or they are mad enough to emulate his trip who knows? But he's been around in enough of the world's trouble-spots to draw a measure over what he sees and, while his writing is less than tight in places and his understandable desire to "keep in the background" means that his discussions with the people he meets on the way are often cursory, the snapshots of life he returns with are vivid enough to make you question much more than his sanity in what is, in the end, a revealing and harrowingly thought-provoking account of one man's gruelling trek through a totally lost country.
 Only for the brave... July 3, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
A brilliant book mixing adventure travel with history, geography and anthropology. The author describes his brutal journey across the enormous expanse of land that is the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tracking Stanley's exploratory expedition, the book is shocking and horrifying in what it reveals about this destitute country. It is a great read that's filled with humour and compassion for the Congolese people. As someone about to travel to the DRC, this was an insightful introduction to an amazing country - all of its wonders and dangers. Now that I have safely returned from the Congo I have recommended this to all my family and friends.
Incredible July 1, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
From the moment I opened this book I couldn't put it down. It is a chilling account of Congo in decay, and about how the infrastructutre of civilisation has collapsed, making it a far more dangerous place today than it was decades ago. I thoroughly recommend it.
a compelling journey June 28, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
An account of the extraordinary journey made by journalist Tim Butcher, retracing the footsteps of H.M. Stanley ,exploring the Congo River. The journey was remarkable as the Congo has suffered from decades of corruption and explotiation and has been ravaged by civil war. The success of Butcher's journey depends on the kindness of aid agencies and charity workers. At times he is struck by the decay and neglect he discovers and paints a depressing picture of what he describes as 'Africa's Broken Heart'. What distinguishes this account from other travel writing is the challenge of the journey. Butcher describes his journey as' ordeal travel' and develops detailed accounts of his experiences. It is difficult not to admire the courage of the writer or the integrity of his writing.
History and travel June 13, 2008
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
This book is not to be picked up if you are looking for a travel book. Instead it is a fascinating documentary on the politics, history and culture of the people that he passes on his journey, with a little about the physical journey. He makes frequent comparisons with previous explorers, especially Stanley. The book is very interesting and he draws astonishing anthropological observations. I couldn't put it down, but it was very different from what I was expecting when I picked it up!
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