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'Matthiessen's book is a triumph that will outlive him. It is a masterpiece' John Hillaby
A compulsively readable account of an African country now virtually inaccessible to the outside world and what is perhaps one of the most daring and adventurous journeys a journalist has made in recent years
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EAN: 9780099494287
Published: 03 January 2008
Format: Paperback
Genre: Travel writing
A remarkable, fascinating book by a courageous and perceptive writer. One of the most exciting books to emerge from Africa in recent years Alexander McCall Smith
An intrepid adventure. In making and describing this journey, Tim Butcher has followed in the footsteps of Stanley and Conrad. It takes a lot of guts to yomp through the Congo and he obviously has plenty of those. But it is the wit and passion of the writing which keeps you engrossed Giles Foden
Tim Butcher deserves a medal for this crazy feat. I marvel at his courage and his empathy Thomas Pakenham
This is a terrific book, an adventure story about a journey of great bravery in one of the world's most dangerous places. It keeps the heart beating and the attention fixed from beginning to end Fergal Keane
Blood River represents a remarkable marriage of travelogue and history, which deserves to make Tim Butcher a star for his prose, as well as his courage Max Hastings
It's a fine book, and I greatly enjoyed it. It's a story of the extraordinary courage, tenacity and endurance of two men: H. M. Stanley, and Tim Butcher, who wrote it...a great achievement John Simpson
From his adventure he has plundered a wealth of terrific stories, and survived to recite a rosary of unstinting horror Nicholas Shakespeare, Telegraph
Stirring and thought-provoking Sunday Telegraph
It throws light on a place that lives in such extreme darkness, most of us have lost sight of it completely. In doing so, it reminds us that travel writing can still be exciting, uncompromising and politically relevant Anthony Sattin, Spectator
I found this book gripping at the same time as being extremely informative. It is full of adventure and there are some quite horrifying moments that describe this incredibly dangerous place in the world. Butcher's Congo journey really does make you aware of the deeply disturbed and unfortunate world of central Africa. The book held my attention from beginning to end. Posted by Clara Womersley at Jonathan Cape
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Tim Butcher is a best-selling British author, journalist and broadcaster. Born in 1967, he was on the staff of The Daily Telegraph from 1990 to 2009, covering all major conflicts across the Balkans the ...