Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart"A compulsively readable account of a journey to the Congo -- a country virtually inaccessible to the outside world -- vividly told by a daring and adventurous journalist. Ever since Stanley first charted its mighty river in the 1870s, the Congo has epitomized the dark and turbulent history of a failed continent. However, its troubles only served to increase the interest of Daily Telegraph correspondent Tim Butcher, who was sent to cover Africa in 2000. Before long he became obsessed with the idea of recreating Stanley's original expedition -- but travelling alone. Despite warnings Butcher spent years poring over colonial-era maps and wooing rebel leaders before making his will and venturing to the Congo's eastern border. He passed through once thriving cities of this country and saw the marks left behind by years of abuse and misrule. Almost, 2,500 harrowing miles later, he reached the Atlantic Ocean, a thinner and a wiser man." -- |
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Africa aid group airport Albertville Arab slavers arrived asked began Belgian colonial Benoit bicycle bike boat Boma British Bukavu bush canoes Cão Care International cassava cataracts centre century cobalt Congo Free Congolese crew crossing the Congo dark described diamond downriver downstream eastern Congo expedition explorer felt fighting Fiston forest Georges head heard hundred Hutu jerrycan journey jungle Kabambarre Kabila Kalemie Kasongo Katanga killed kilometres Kindu Kinshasa Kisangani knew Lake Tanganyika Livingstone looked Lubumbashi mai-mai Malike Maniema ManiKongo Mbandaka metres Michel mission missionaries Mobutu modern MONUC motorbike Odimba Oggi overland paddle paddlers passed pirogue port Portuguese railway reached rebels river bank road route Rwanda slaves soldiers spotted Stanley Falls Stanley's stop Swahili thing told took town track traders tree trip turned Tutsis Ubundu upper Congo River village walked wanted watched Zanzibar