Synopses & Reviews
While poring over dust-caked pamphlets in the library, Ben Rawlence stumbles upon the photo of a lost city of colonial Congo--a glistening, modern metropolis built by huge tin mines and European capitalists. Today, that city, Manono, sits beyond the infamous Triangle of Death,” in an area rarely reached by outsiders since war turned the countrys rivers to blood.
In this compelling debut, Rawlence sets out to gather the news from this ghost town in one of the most dangerous places in the world. Ignoring the advice of locals, reporters, and mercenaries, he travels by foot, motorbike, and canoe, taking his time and meeting the people who are rebuilding their homes with hope, faith, and nervous instinct. We meet Benjamin, the kindly father of the most terrifying Mai Mai warlord; Leya, who happily gives up a good job in Zambia to return to her razed town; Colonel Ibrahim, a guerrilla turned army officer; the Lebanese cousins Mohammed and Mohammed, who oversee the remains of Manonos great mine; the priest Jean-Baptiste, who explains the conjoined prices of beer and normality; and the talk-show host Mama Christine, who dispenses counsel and courage in equal measure.
From the blood cheese” of Goma to the decaying city of Manono, Rawlence shares the real story of Congo during and after the war, and finds not just a lost city but the seeds of a peaceful future.
Review
"A distressing but important read." -
Kirkus ReviewsIntrepid and undaunted by hazards that would send most journalists scurrying back to the bar of their hotel, Ben Rawlence gets far deeper into the life of this war-torn country than most.”
--Adam Hochschild, author of King Leopolds Ghost
Lucid, laconic, and elegantly written.”
--Michela Wrong, author of In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz
Gripping... Rawlence gets under Congos skin... He makes a self-effacing guide with a necessary sense of the ridiculous, an eye for the telling detail and a talent for evocative description. But it is his closeness to the Congolese that really stands out.”
--The Times (London)
Radio Congo is an unexpected broadcast of hope... This is a much-needed to a misunderstood countryand a welcome glimpse of sunshine.”
--Prospect magazine
Intimate and entertaining portraits.”
--The Economist
Rawlence writes in a lyrical style, whether hes introducing us to some of the eccentric characters he meets along the way or... the scenes he encounters, both harsh and beautiful.”
--We Love This Book
A compelling debut.”
--The Bookseller
Synopsis
Brash hustlers, sinister colonels, resilient refugees, and intrepid radio hosts: meet the future of Congo
In this extraordinary debut - called 'gripping' by The Times of London - Ben Rawlence sets out to gather the news from a forgotten town deep in Congo's 'silent quarter' where peace is finally being built after two decades of civil war and devastation. Ignoring the advice of locals, reporters, and mercenaries, he travels by foot, bike, and boat, introducing us to Colonel Ibrahim, a guerrilla turned army officer; Benjamin, the kindly father of the most terrifying Mai Mai warlord; the cousins Mohammed and Mohammed, young tin traders hoping to make their fortune; and talk show host Mama Christine, who dispenses counsel and courage in equal measure. From the 'blood cheese' of Goma to the decaying city of Manono, Rawlence uncovers the real stories of life during the war and finds hope for the future.
About the Author
Ben Rawlence is a senior researcher on Africa for Human Rights Watch. He has written for
The Huffington Post,
Guardian,
Prospect magazine,
London Review of Books, and others and contributed to BBC radio. Fluent in Swahili, he received his masters in international relations from the University of Chicago. He travels regularly to London, New York, and Africa as part of his investigative work for Human Rights Watch.
Table of Contents
Prologue
1. The Lost City
2. What You Wanna Go There For?”
3. Under the Volcano
4. Meeting the Colonel
5. Guerrillas in the Mist
6. Blood Cheese
7. The Waves on the Lake Are Not Negligible, My Dear”
8. Outsiders
9. A Fishless Lake
10. The Return, Part I
11. Trouble in the Mulenge Hills
12. The End Is Nigh
13. In Search of Goats and Gold
14. A Cruise on Tanganyika
15. The Intelligence Directors Bath
16. The Forest People
17. Inhuman”
18. The Guns of Moba
19. My Name is Zongwe
20. The Return, Part II
21. The Lake of Snails
22. Eating the Neighbours
23. Of Pigs, Rabbits, and Popes
24. La route principale
25. Beer and Normality
26. The Bend in the River
27. The Price of Tin
28. Electric Dreams
29. The News from Manono
Acknowledgments
Illustration Credits
Further Reading, Listening, and Watching
Index