Product Description

A remarkable and controversial book about the reality of modern Africa by distinguished American reporter, Blaine Harden. This remarkable book is the first to get behind the picture post-card presentation of modern Africa. harden reveals the true and often unsightly picture of this vast continent. The issues he addresses - the incompetent intervention of Western governments and the battle between the tribal way of life and modernity - are presented through lucid and gripping stories about individual people and incidents Harden has known. He himself was once thrown out of Kenya for the strength and accuracy of his reporting; this book will cause and equal stir in the debate about where Africa is going and what itis becoming.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #281121 in Books
• Published on: 1992-11-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 334 pages

Review
'The best contemporary book on Africa.' Richard Dowden, Independent 'This is an extraordinary and frightening book. Blaine Harden evokes with passion, argument , and fabulous stories the destruction of Africa. He is a superb reporter and writer.' William Shawcross 'Harden's "dispatches" peel back the traditional mystique of the so-called "dark continent" and identify enduring African values of family, religion and fellowship. Authoritative, entertaining and mercifully free of giraffes and safari suits.' Observer 'An outstanding account of the complexities of the fragile continent. Few writers can match harden's insights into the continent's malaise.' Financial Times

About the Author
From 1985 to 1989, Blaine Harden was bureau chief for the Washington Post in sub-Saharan Africa. Born in the state of Washington, he received his masters degree in newspaper journalism from Syracuse University. He won the Livingston Award for feature writing in 1987.

Customer Reviews

A very well written book
This is an amazing book. Having been a teenager in Kenya at the time that Harden focuses on, it was very interesting to read Harden's analyis of the S M Otieno case and the plight of International Aid in Turkana. He has alluded to intervention by the Kenya government at various points in the book, this appears to be somewhat unsubstantiated. I would have liked to read more discussion of why he says what he has. That would have given, what currently appear to be conspiration theories, some concrete basis.

Africa: Dispatches from a Fragile Continent
One of the best books on Africa I have read - really tells it like it is and gives a wonderful insight into how Africa works - or doesn't, as is often the case. A book to be read and re-read

Colourful, shocking, often humourous: a must-read on Africa!
Read this and you will feel as though you have lived in Africa. Blaine Harden's commentary manages to combine the complexity of the competing African political, economic, social, and tribal influences; Harden never generalises or simplifies, yet his journalistic style manages to convey the most complex of issues in accessible and seemingly simple terms. Moreover, despite often bleak subject matter, Harden's humour made me laugh out loud many times while reading. Best of all, Harden leaves one to draw one's own conclusions, raising issues but not forcing judgement or conclusion. One of the best books, of any genre, that I have ever read. I cannot recommend this highly enough.