Chasing the Devil

On Foot Through Africa's Killing Fields

Tim Butcher author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Vintage Publishing

Published:28th Apr '11

Should be back in stock very soon

Chasing the Devil cover

The bestselling author of Blood River is back with a second thrilling adventure, illuminating the war-torn, complex and forbidding region of Sierra Leone and Liberia

Facing down demons from his time in Africa as a journalist, Tim Butcher heads deep into this combat zone, encountering the devastation wrought by lawless militia, child soldiers, brutal violence, blood diamonds and masked figures who guard the spiritual secrets of remote jungle communities.

For many years war made Sierra Leone and Liberia too dangerous for outsiders to travel through. Facing down demons from his time in Africa as a journalist, Tim Butcher heads deep into this combat zone, encountering the devastation wrought by lawless militia, child soldiers, brutal violence, blood diamonds and masked figures who guard the spiritual secrets of remote jungle communities.

On an epic journey that demands courage, doggedness and sheer luck, Butcher treks for 350 blistering miles through rainforest and malarial swamps to gain an extraordinary ground-level view of an overlooked region on the cusp of a remarkable recovery.

Engaging...descriptions of walking through the bush, of sweltering heat, sweat and swelling blisters are juxtaposed against moments of beauty...a test of endurance -- Aminatta Forna * Sunday Telegraph *
A brave book by a writer of skill and principle... He exposes the toxic cocktail of colonial exploitation, tribal conflict, ritual violence and blood diamonds that spits out regional monsrosities such as Charles Taylor... an admirable book -- Brian Schofield * Sunday Times *
Tim Butcher has a respect and affection for West Africa that is genuine and touching, writing in a way that brings out the exuberance and wit of its people. This book is required reading for anyone even vaguely interested in this remote and enigmatic region * Daily Mail *
Butcher is really a Victorian explorer and writer endowed with the sterling grit of that age... He is tough and he's honest * Evening Standard *
Butcher's book is packed with incident... fascinating, harrowing and eventful -- Joan Smith * Independent *
An inspirational account of humanity's wonderful spirit to survive -- Archbiship Desmond Tutu
This is a very fine, very depressing, travel book -- John Sutherland * Financial Times *
This an engaging, well-written book. Anyone who enjoyed Blood River will enjoy this. The narrative skilfully interweaves Greene's experiences with that of the author and the history and the anthropology of the territory through which he is passing -- Chris Mullin * Daily Telegraph *
The unflinching descriptions of the horrors of the recent wars in both countries are hard to shake from the mind. * Financial Times, Christmas round up *
A clear-sighted view of the recent atrocities in Liberia and Sierra Leone. -- Hugh Thomson * Independent, Christmas round up *

ISBN: 9780099532064

Dimensions: 198mm x 131mm x 25mm

Weight: 294g

336 pages