Brash hustlers, sinister colonels, resilient refugees, and intrepid radio hosts: meet the future of Congo While poring over dusty photographs of colonial Congo, Ben Rawlence stumbled upon the image of a lost city a glistening metropolis fuelled by tin and European capital. Today, that city, Manono, lies inside the Triangle of Death, an area rarely reached by outsiders since war broke out in Congo more than a decade ago. Rawlence, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, set out to gather news of Manono and of Congo's uneasy peace. Rather than taking the direct flight suggested by aid workers and mercenaries, he travels by foot, bike, and boat, taking his time to meet the people who are making a new life in one of the world's most dangerous places. We meet Colonel Ibrahim, a guerrilla turned army officer; Benjamin, the kindly father of the most terrifying Mai Mai warlord; the Lebanese cousins Mohammed and Mohammed, young tin traders making their fortune; and the talk-show host Mama Christine, who dispenses counsel and courage in equal measure. Along the way, Rawlence hears the real stories of Congo, during and after the war, and finds beacons of hope for the future.
Radio Congo
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Review
'A compelling debut.' --The Bookseller ‘Intimate and entertaining portraits’ The Economist
‘Intimate and entertaining portraits’ The Economist 'impressive [and] captivating’ Business Day Live
‘impressive [and] captivating’ Business Day Live
'Lucid, Laconic, and elegantly written.' --Michela Wrong, author of In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz
'Undaunted by hazards that would send most journalists scurrying back to the bar of their hotel, Rawlence gets far deeper into the life of this war-torn country.' --Adam Hochschild, author of King Leopold's Ghost
"Rawlence gets under Congo’s skin… He makes a self-effacing guide with a necessary sense of the ridiculous, an eye for the telling detail and a talent for evocativedescription. But it is his closeness to the Congolese that really stands out." The Times
“Radio Congo is an unexpected broadcast of hope. [Rawlence] meets militia men, entrepreneurs, pygmies, refugees and former child soldiers and, for light relief, gets drunk with priests… and dances to east Africa's irrepressible guitar pop, bolingo… This is a much-needed introduction to a misunderstood country – and a welcome glimpse of sunshine.” Prospect
‘Very readable… Rawlence writes in a beautiful lyrical style, whether he's introducing us to some of the eccentric characters he meets along the way or whether describing the scenes he encounters.’ We Love This Book ‘Rawlence is well placed… [He] doesn’t shy away from the horror, nor the devastation to the land and its people… worthwhile.’ New Internationalist
• ‘It is the stories of people Rawlence meets along the way that make Radio Congo so appealing… compelling [and] powerful… an enlightening contribution.’ Think Africa Press review
‘Vivid and lyrical… [an] important read’ Kirkus Reviews
‘Fascinating… a beautifully-written, engaging book.’ Daily Maverick
‘refreshing’
‘Intimate and entertaining portraits’ The Economist 'impressive [and] captivating’ Business Day Live
‘impressive [and] captivating’ Business Day Live
'Lucid, Laconic, and elegantly written.' --Michela Wrong, author of In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz
'Undaunted by hazards that would send most journalists scurrying back to the bar of their hotel, Rawlence gets far deeper into the life of this war-torn country.' --Adam Hochschild, author of King Leopold's Ghost
"Rawlence gets under Congo’s skin… He makes a self-effacing guide with a necessary sense of the ridiculous, an eye for the telling detail and a talent for evocativedescription. But it is his closeness to the Congolese that really stands out." The Times
“Radio Congo is an unexpected broadcast of hope. [Rawlence] meets militia men, entrepreneurs, pygmies, refugees and former child soldiers and, for light relief, gets drunk with priests… and dances to east Africa's irrepressible guitar pop, bolingo… This is a much-needed introduction to a misunderstood country – and a welcome glimpse of sunshine.” Prospect
‘Very readable… Rawlence writes in a beautiful lyrical style, whether he's introducing us to some of the eccentric characters he meets along the way or whether describing the scenes he encounters.’ We Love This Book ‘Rawlence is well placed… [He] doesn’t shy away from the horror, nor the devastation to the land and its people… worthwhile.’ New Internationalist
• ‘It is the stories of people Rawlence meets along the way that make Radio Congo so appealing… compelling [and] powerful… an enlightening contribution.’ Think Africa Press review
‘Vivid and lyrical… [an] important read’ Kirkus Reviews
‘Fascinating… a beautifully-written, engaging book.’ Daily Maverick
‘refreshing’
About the Author
Ben Rawlence is Senior Researcher on Africa for Human Rights Watch. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, the London Review of Books, Prospect and the Huffington Post, and he has been a contributor to BBC Radio 4's From Our Own Correspondent. He now lives in London.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By mamguali
Format:Paperback
This book forced me to put down the two others I was reading. It is full of beautiful descriptions of a land and people devastated by war but it isn't heavy going and doesn't dwell on the horrors of the conflict to shock you. It grabs your attention by focusing on the hope and resilience of the people who have survived and the barriers they face as they try to re-establish their lives in their homeland.
After reading, I feel as though I have been on a journey through a place that I would not have otherwise heard about.
Excellent
After reading, I feel as though I have been on a journey through a place that I would not have otherwise heard about.
Excellent
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Ros
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Radio Congo is, ostensibly, an account the writer's trip along the shores and waters of Lake Tanganyika. But it is much more than a travel book. Ben Rawlence, a senior researcher with Human Rights Watch, has a deep knowledge and understanding of African history. A fluent Swahili speaker, his journey takes us to the heart of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its resilient people. Colonialism, war, and their aftermath, are prevailing themes, but Radio Congo is no catalogue of horrors. The great strength of the book is the way in which it allows the people to tell their own story and to engage us in the sounds, sights, smells and tastes of their hot, damaged and deeply exploited country.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Janesca
Format:Paperback
The best factual book I've read in ages. Touching, gripping and incredibly informative, it a very well written book from someone who really cares about his subject matter. Highly reccommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Read this: it will make you depressed and angry in equal measure
This is something of an emotional roller coaster. It is part travelogue, part history book, and part current affairs. Read more
Published 5 days ago by Simon Binning
5.0 out of 5 stars
Congo but not the river
This is an account of an unknown Congo. Ben Rawlence travelled Southwards through Eastern Congo from Goma and north Kivu in the North to the death triangle towns of Katanga in the... Read more
Published 15 days ago by Noel
5.0 out of 5 stars
Signals of hope says it all.
Provides a great insight into the realities behind the headlines and the perceptions from NGO's. Lots of positives for the people of the region after so many nightmare years, and... Read more
Published 20 days ago by AfricaAl
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read and weep
This book is reflective and well written, but even if it was poorly presented, this is story that should be read and thought about by all of us and seen as a coda to "king... Read more
Published 29 days ago by Nigel Ecclesfield
5.0 out of 5 stars
People are people despite the conflict.
A heart warming book about a horribly troubled country and just goes to prove that people are people throughout the world. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. G. Horsewood
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really interesting read
I've always been intrigued by Africa, and especially the Congo and have read a couple of books on the country previously. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Benjamin Scarfe
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book bringing back so many memories
I spent time working in Uganda, Congo and Angola in the 1970's and reading this book makes me wish I had written down all the things I came across. Memories are not enough. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Ps Kavanagh
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intermittent reception
This was an unexpected, engaging read. I was drawn by the title, intrigued by its 'radio' aspect, but sadly, something which did not significantly materialise, surprisingly as it... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Roger James Elsgood
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating and beautifully written
Thoroughly recommend this informative account of the author's journey through the Congo. Through him you visit long forgotten areas of the Congo, hear the voices of those... Read more
Published 2 months ago by SueL
5.0 out of 5 stars
Radio Congo
I was attracted by the title and found this a very interesting & compelling read. I like travelogues and this fit the bill, giving insight to a country and aftermath of a war that... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Graham Chaloner
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