If I had to list places I would not like to visit, I think ‘Anywhere in Africa’ would be pretty damn high on that list.
Not so for Tim Butcher, and I can’t decide if I should applaud his courage or bemoan his (in my mind) pointless bravado.
Our intrepid hero follows the path of H.M. Stanley’s famous journey towards the end of the nineteenth century. This takes him through some of the most famous and most dangerous areas of this benighted land.
Armed with nought but a pocket knife and $2,000 (though I guess that may be pushing the ‘nought’ concept), Tim faces the impossible overland journey with a mixture of trepidation and curiosity. Over the vast distance he travels he is exposed to the rotting core of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly named the Congo Free State, the Belgian Congo, Zaire and possibly more that I’ve forgotten) and the people that reside in this hazardous locale.
It’s in meeting these people that I believe the journey find its worth. The stories he is told differ, but most combine a revelation of the inhumane conditions faced everyday and a plea for peace. Even though their lives are so difficult, a surprising number of the people agree to assist him in his journey for little or no reward.
Of course, some of his encounters are not so civilised. He is constantly harassed for money, generally by enterprising locals asking him for a permit from the government – often this leads to heated words and the threat of violence.
A large part of this book is a gripping account of his travels, and the recent history helps to expand understanding of the area and its problems. However, I found that the ancient history was very dry and didn’t seem to add anything to this story. Perhaps as much as a quarter of the book could have been removed without diminishing the message it sends. Still, it is mostly an enthralling and informative guide to both the areas he traveled through and the problems plaguing Africa. Worth a read.
Rating: 
