Reviewed on Richard & Judy on Wednesday 5 March 2008.
Tim Butcher’s plan for travelling across Africa is so ludicrous you have to read this book to believe he actually did what he did. This is a great travel novel and a fascinating depiction of the Congo as well as a story of endurance and strength of character.
A compulsively readable account of an African country now virtually inaccessible to the outside world and one journalist's daring and adventurous journey.
When Daily Telegraph correspondent Tim Butcher was sent to cover Africa he quickly became obsessed with the idea of recreating H.M. Stanley's famous expedition - but travelling alone. 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 vessels including a motorbike and a dugout canoe, helped along by a cast of characters from UN aid workers to a campaigning pygmy, he followed in the footsteps of the great Victorian adventurers.
VINTAGE VOYAGES: A world of journeys, from the tallest mountains to the depths of the mind
"A remarkable, fascinating book by a courageous and perceptive writer. One of the most exciting books to emerge from Africa in recent years." Alexander McCall Smith
Author
About Tim Butcher
Born in 1967, Tim Butcher has worked for the Daily Telegraph since 1990 as foreign affairs leader writer, defence correspondent and Africa Bureau Chief. He is currently living in Jerusalem where he is the Telegraph’s Middle East correspondent.
