Liberia has been one of Africa's most violent trouble spots. In 1990, when thousands of teenage fighters, including young men wearing women's clothing and bizarre objects of decoration, laid siege to the capital, the world took notice. Since then Liberia has been through devastating civil upheaval. What began as a civil conflict, has spread to other West African nations. Eschewing popular stereotypes and simple explanations, Stephen Ellis traces the history of the civil war that has blighted Liberia in recent years and looks at its political, ethnic and cultural roots. He focuses on the role religion and ritual have played in shaping and intensifying this brutal war. In this edition, with a new preface by the author, Ellis provides a current picture of Liberia and details how much of the same problems still exist.
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'No one interested in the continent can afford to miss this book.' --Sunday Telegraph
'Outstanding. . . . A fascinating and profound exploration of what Ellis sees as Liberians deep spiritual anarchy, manifested during the war in extreme brutality, incidents of cannibalism, and the fighters' bizarre sartorial affectations. . . . Ellis's persuasive analysis of Liberian religious ideology and culture does more than make sense of these strange phenomena. It offers rare insight into the way political, physical, and spiritual power can be linked and legitimized in the popular imagination. . . . A model of lucid writing, thorough research, and penetrating interpretation, this is one of the best books on Africa in recent years.' ----Foreign Affairs
'Cogently argued and supported by wealth of observation.' ----Times Literary Supplement
'Outstanding. . . . A fascinating and profound exploration of what Ellis sees as Liberians deep spiritual anarchy, manifested during the war in extreme brutality, incidents of cannibalism, and the fighters' bizarre sartorial affectations. . . . Ellis's persuasive analysis of Liberian religious ideology and culture does more than make sense of these strange phenomena. It offers rare insight into the way political, physical, and spiritual power can be linked and legitimized in the popular imagination. . . . A model of lucid writing, thorough research, and penetrating interpretation, this is one of the best books on Africa in recent years.' ----Foreign Affairs
'Cogently argued and supported by wealth of observation.' ----Times Literary Supplement
About the Author
Stephen Ellis is a Senior Researcher at the African Studies Centre, Leiden, and author of Worlds of Power , published by Hurst.
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