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samuelbeer's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful accounts of idealized surroundings give way to horror and chaos as the unfortunately cowardly protagonist stands idle. An interesting tale of how morally neutral people can suddenly find themselves in horrifying situations with no clear way out.
brettp's review against another edition
5.0
This was a wonderful book all around. I'm told I need to see the movie, too.
armysoldier33's review against another edition
3.0
There was so much more of the brutality of Idi Amin in the book than it was in the movie. But I always found myself asking, why didn't Nick just leave? He had several opportunities to get out and resources to just leave the country but he didn't. His escape in the movie was a much more dramatic event than what actually happened. This is one of those rare times where I'd recommend watching the movie and reading the book to get a good idea of the story. Although I'd recommend researching the legacy of Idi Amin to get. a true understanding of what a vile, brutal, killer that he truly was.
chaitanyasethi's review against another edition
5.0
'The Last King of Scotland' is a fictionalized tale of Dr. Nicholas Garrigan, personal physician to the Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin, or as the official title went - "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular."
The story follows Garrigan's life in Uganda and his gradual proximity to Amin. Sent on behalf of the British kingdom to work in Africa, Garrigan arrives in Uganda on the heels of the coup that established Amin as the leader. A chance incident leads him to cater to Amin's injury which provides the professional jumping point for Garrigan, who is officially brought in as the personal physician to Amin.
What's fascinating about the entire story is that it reads like a cautionary tale. Given the political history of the country, you know where the plot is headed but you can't stop yourself from reading it. Amin's notoriety as a violent, ruthless leader is quite known but what Garrigan provides the voice for in this book is an attempt to humanize the dictator. Garrigan concedes that Amin is highly charismatic and he too, felt drawn to him, despite his best. His position as the physician is quite dichotomous. On one hand, he is a fearful citizen, intimidated by the towering persona of Amin, used to the tales of Amin presenting himself as a demigod, but on the other hand, he is his physician, privy to all his physiological fallings, aware of intimate things like the scars he has, the troubles he faces with his gut, at his beck and call to treat all maladies.
Amin is presented as this magnetic but contradictory person, seemingly delusion but shocking self-aware at times. Garrigan is forever walking on egg-shells around him, never sure of where he stands with him. And as Amin's violent machinations turn more gruesome over time, Garrigan finds himself seeping deeper into quicksand, losing sight of his own moral compass, painfully try to convince himself that he is but a pawn in the entire scheme, unable to do anything of note. Garrigan becomes somewhat obsessed with Amin, as his story becomes entirely about him. His diary is all about him, he starts dreaming about him frequently, and used to the violence by now, he even contemplates killing him just for the joy of it.
I thought it was a really intriguing story, written in an easy-to-read manner, and very engrossing. Would definitely recommend it!
The story follows Garrigan's life in Uganda and his gradual proximity to Amin. Sent on behalf of the British kingdom to work in Africa, Garrigan arrives in Uganda on the heels of the coup that established Amin as the leader. A chance incident leads him to cater to Amin's injury which provides the professional jumping point for Garrigan, who is officially brought in as the personal physician to Amin.
What's fascinating about the entire story is that it reads like a cautionary tale. Given the political history of the country, you know where the plot is headed but you can't stop yourself from reading it. Amin's notoriety as a violent, ruthless leader is quite known but what Garrigan provides the voice for in this book is an attempt to humanize the dictator. Garrigan concedes that Amin is highly charismatic and he too, felt drawn to him, despite his best. His position as the physician is quite dichotomous. On one hand, he is a fearful citizen, intimidated by the towering persona of Amin, used to the tales of Amin presenting himself as a demigod, but on the other hand, he is his physician, privy to all his physiological fallings, aware of intimate things like the scars he has, the troubles he faces with his gut, at his beck and call to treat all maladies.
Amin is presented as this magnetic but contradictory person, seemingly delusion but shocking self-aware at times. Garrigan is forever walking on egg-shells around him, never sure of where he stands with him. And as Amin's violent machinations turn more gruesome over time, Garrigan finds himself seeping deeper into quicksand, losing sight of his own moral compass, painfully try to convince himself that he is but a pawn in the entire scheme, unable to do anything of note. Garrigan becomes somewhat obsessed with Amin, as his story becomes entirely about him. His diary is all about him, he starts dreaming about him frequently, and used to the violence by now, he even contemplates killing him just for the joy of it.
I thought it was a really intriguing story, written in an easy-to-read manner, and very engrossing. Would definitely recommend it!
armysoldier33's review against another edition
3.0
There was so much more of the brutality of Idi Amin in the book than it was in the movie. But I always found myself asking, why didn't Nick just leave? He had several opportunities to get out and resources to just leave the country but he didn't. His escape in the movie was a much more dramatic event than what actually happened. This is one of those rare times where I'd recommend watching the movie and reading the book to get a good idea of the story. Although I'd recommend researching the legacy of Idi Amin to get. a true understanding of what a vile, brutal, killer that he truly was.
rheaney's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
sarahbowman101's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book after seeing a preview of the movie coming out soon. Hey…I like Scotland, and I like African history, should have been a great mix. This was a novel about Idi Amin’s Scottish doctor and while it wasn’t great, it reminds me that I shouldn’t completely write off historical fiction. I just put this down and can’t exactly put my finger on what I didn’t like about this book, but it didn’t completely hold me through the end. I loved the beginning, but my interest seemed to fade and I don’t know why. Certainly well written, and I am glad I read it. Interesting note, I read that the main character was loosely based on a real Scot but is it the European digested view of what happened more accessible to a western audience? I have read quite a bit of African history, but I am curious (and again, don’t have the answers) as to the fact that I picked it up based on some identification with the narrator (of which I actually had little) that I might not have done so with an African narrator?