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A review by tanyarobinson
Chasing the Devil: The Search for Africa's Fighting Spirit by Tim Butcher
4.0
Tim Butcher's books are a great way to get to know Africa. Early this year I read Blood River, his account of traveling through war-torn Congo following the route of Henry Morton Stanley, and was fascinated but disturbed by his journey. Chasing the Devil is an account of Butcher's trek through parts of Sierra Leone and Liberia, tracing the steps of a journey novelist (and later MI6spy) Graham Greene took in the 1930s. Though hazardous and difficult, this quest seemed less suicidal than Butcher's DR Congo quest, so I was more able to relax and enjoy reading the book!
Modern Sierra Leone was settled by former slaves and blacks from the British Empire, though it did go through a protectorate period ruled by whites. Liberia became a sort of new hope/dumping ground for blacks from the United States before the Civil War, and is unique in post-colonial Africa as having been always led by blacks. Even here, however, the Americo-Liberians (elite newcomers), who represented about 10% of the population, ruled over the 90% "country" indigenous peoples, and the same sorts of civil conflicts have plagued the land in the last 50 years.
Butcher's books are travelogues, they're histories, they're commentaries on the anthropology of the native groups, but I especially love his journalist's spin trying to analyze WHY Africa is so troubled. I think his points about tribal loyalties over national interests are solid, as is his reading on community survival over individual success. This book's repeating theme of the Poro bush tradition of Devil power was especially fascinating, and showed what a hold these "secret societies" with their initiation culture have over the native peoples. Native rituals and legends are kept secret on threat of death, so much is unknown, but it's proven that human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism (eating an enemy's heart to gain his strength, for example) are still practiced in the back country of Sierra Leone and Liberia. Butcher shows how even this has played a role in the continuous civil unrest.
I absolutely recommend journalist Tim Butcher's books on Africa - quite a trip!!!
Modern Sierra Leone was settled by former slaves and blacks from the British Empire, though it did go through a protectorate period ruled by whites. Liberia became a sort of new hope/dumping ground for blacks from the United States before the Civil War, and is unique in post-colonial Africa as having been always led by blacks. Even here, however, the Americo-Liberians (elite newcomers), who represented about 10% of the population, ruled over the 90% "country" indigenous peoples, and the same sorts of civil conflicts have plagued the land in the last 50 years.
Butcher's books are travelogues, they're histories, they're commentaries on the anthropology of the native groups, but I especially love his journalist's spin trying to analyze WHY Africa is so troubled. I think his points about tribal loyalties over national interests are solid, as is his reading on community survival over individual success. This book's repeating theme of the Poro bush tradition of Devil power was especially fascinating, and showed what a hold these "secret societies" with their initiation culture have over the native peoples. Native rituals and legends are kept secret on threat of death, so much is unknown, but it's proven that human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism (eating an enemy's heart to gain his strength, for example) are still practiced in the back country of Sierra Leone and Liberia. Butcher shows how even this has played a role in the continuous civil unrest.
I absolutely recommend journalist Tim Butcher's books on Africa - quite a trip!!!