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Books : Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart |
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List Price: $25.00Amazon.com's Price: $16.50 You Save: $8.50 (34%)Prices subject to change.
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 916.7510434
EAN: 9780802118776
ISBN: 0802118771
Label: Grove Press
Manufacturer: Grove Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: October 01, 2008
Publisher: Grove Press
Sales Rank: 21225
Studio: Grove Press
Related Items:
Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Published to rave reviews in the United Kingdom and named a Richard & Judy Book Club selection—the only work of nonfiction on the 2008 list—Blood River is the harrowing and audacious story of Tim Butcher's journey in the Congo and his retracing of renowned explorer H. M. Stanley's famous 1874 expedition in which he mapped the Congo River. When Daily Telegraph correspondent Tim Butcher was sent to Africa in 2000 he quickly became obsessed with the legendary Congo River and the idea of re-creating Stanley's legendary journey along the three-thousand-mile waterway. Despite warnings that his plan was suicidal, Butcher set out for the Congo's eastern border with just a rucksack and a few thousand dollars hidden in his boots. Making his way in an assortment of vehicles, including a motorbike and a dugout canoe, helped along by a cast of characters from UN aid workers to a pygmy-rights advocate, he followed in the footsteps of the great Victorian adventurers. An utterly absorbing narrative that chronicles Tim Butcher's forty-four-day journey along the Congo River, Blood River is an unforgettable story of exploration and survival.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - As good as the best suspense novel -- but it's non-fiction...
"In August 2004 I booked a flight from Johannesburg to the Congo, wrote my first will and kissed Jane goodbye."
On that note, Daily Telegraph reporter Tim Butcher set off on what can only be described as one of the most quixotic expeditions imaginable. In the early years of the 21st century, he had somehow fixated on the idea that he should follow in the footsteps of a former Telegraph reporter -- 19th century explorer and colonialist Henry Stanley (he of "Dr Livingstone, I presume" ... Read More
Rating: - a wonderful but painful read
Following in the footsteps of Henry Morton Stanley, British journalist Tim Butcher traverses the DRC - one of the wildest and most lawless countries on earth, and presents an almost unimaginable vision of despair and deprivation. Yet amidst all the local suffering he encounters, he finds glimmers of hope in the form of many exceptional Congolese and expats who ease his clearly gruelling journey and provide both insight and friendship. While Butcher often seems incredulous that such conditions exist ... Read More
Rating:  - Disappointed
The author's premise is intriguing. A lone white man will journey through the horrific darkness of the modern Congo, tracing the steps of Henry Stanley's legendary trek recorded in 1876.
Mr. Butcher's account however falls flat with a resounding thud.
The descriptions of his journey are wooden, unedifying, and whiny. "I got bitten this morning by a mosquito!" "I became hungry after noon having gone without breakfast!"
The author bails out half-way through his ... Read More
Rating: - A Journey - Not a History
November 2008, Kindle Version
Positives: The journey he takes is difficult and the people he meets live in extraordinary conditions. Through it all I felt I was traveling right next to the author. At the end of the book I didn't sense I read a story but had memories.
Deltas: I agree with R.M. Peterson's point #2 (see his previous review) that the writing was a bit ordinary. To me - minor irritation.
Overall: A book I am pleased to have read, especially considering ... Read More
Rating: - incredible read
Wow!! This was a moving and incredible read that weaves history and current events in a tumultuous part of the world. I'd been looking for a book that tackled some of the history but ties it in with what's happening today. this is the ticket!
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