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| Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart | 
 enlarge | Author: Tim Butcher
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy Used: £0.31
You Save: £7.68 (96%)
New (39) Collectible (2) from £0.89
Avg. Customer Rating:  71 reviews
Sales Rank: 285
Media: Paperback
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 4.9 x 1
ISBN: 0099494280
EAN: 9780099494287
ASIN: 0099494280
Publication Date: January 3, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Middle of the Road Travel Book September 17, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
Just finished reading `Blood River`. Not bad but not as good/insightful as Dark Star Safari. I`m not sure Stanley would have considered Mr Butcher a true adventure traveller but in a country that is a lot more dangerous and corrupt now than it was back in the 1870`s you could forgive Mr Butcher for taking advantage of some of the more luxurious modes of tranport that he did for his Congo journey. The book Gives a slight insight into the extremely difficult circumstances in which people in the Congo have to live, but did not really delve into the heart of many of the issues. One might surmise that Mr Butcher was rather more interested in fulfilling a dream (and self preservation/`dollar preservation` during said fulfillment!) than shedding any meaningful light on this giant of an African country. Nevertheless a worth while read for anyone interested in modern African travel.
 Stanley never rode in helicopters! September 13, 2008
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
Butcher is a vainglorious charlatan. Look at his compressed, hand-drawn maps, and how he tries to distract your notice away from his 600km-long helicopter ride! (p.291) Overland adventurer, my arse. Did Stanley ride 1000km in a UN patrol boat?
And much like his predecessor Stanley, he misuses Africans to achieve his own ends: one of his pirogue paddlers collapses from fever and malnourishment because Butcher hasn't paid them anything up front and has demanded that they paddle double-quick.
Get this from a library, but don't buy it.
 Fascinating tale of a country destroyed by greed September 12, 2008
1 out of 6 found this review helpful
Loved the book - Devestating to read of how the Congo has been destroyed. I can only hope that the future leaders will learn from past mistakes.
A great read September 2, 2008
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it a great blend of interesting history and a fascinating insight into the modern-day Congo. I was genuinely gripped by the descriptions of the suffering going on there and horrified at my lack of awareness. The descriptions of his travel were secondary for me but were well-written and interesting. The only bits of the book that grated for me were his constant reminders of the dangers he was facing and the amount he was suffering which, on a backdrop of the Congolese people who were genuinely suffering and had no way of escape, felt unfair and over-stated. Other than that it was a great read nad I would highly recommend it.
 Disappointing! September 1, 2008
4 out of 10 found this review helpful
This book sounded so promising!
But I found this nothing more than a portrayal of one mans arrogance and self-absorbtion. Despite the opportunities and experiences described the author fails to demonstrate any true insight or understanding of this deeply troubled and complex region.
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