Facing the Congo: Amazon.de: Jeffrey Tayler: Englische Bücher

Weitere Ausgaben

Amazon-Preis

Neu ab

Gebraucht ab

Gebundene Ausgabe

Taschenbuch

EUR 12,81

Produktinformation

Taschenbuch: 352 Seiten
Verlag: Abacus; Auflage: New Ed (2. Mai 2002)
Sprache: Englisch
ISBN-10: 0349114501
ISBN-13: 978-0349114507
Gr��e und/oder Gewicht: 12,7 x 19,8 x 2,2 cm

Durchschnittliche Kundenbewertung: 4.0 von 5 Sternen Alle Rezensionen anzeigen (1 Kundenrezension)

Amazon Bestseller-Rang: Nr. 131.326 in Englische Bücher (Siehe Top 100 in Englische Bücher)

M�chten Sie die Produktinformationen aktualisieren oder Feedback zu den Produktabbildungen geben?

Ist der Verkauf dieses Produkts f�r Sie nicht akzeptabel?

Produktbeschreibungen

Amazon.co.uk

Recent years have seen a spate of "Congo books". Ronan Bennett, Barbara Kingsolver and John Edric have written acclaimed Congo novels, and Adam Hochschild's history, King Leopold's Ghost, documents the atrocities committed during rubber fever, when 8,000,000 died in the Belgian Congo and up to 14,000,000 died in French Equatorial Africa. In the travel genre, we have had Redmond O'Hanlon's great Congo Journey and Michaela Wrong's In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz. The combination of historical tragedy and contemporary anarchy makes this rich hunting ground for writers, but also provokes serious ethical questions about writing commercial books on a destroyed country--questions which only the nature of the books themselves can answer.

Facing the Congo is the latest such book. In it, Jeffrey Tayler recounts his attempt to canoe the navigable length of sub-Saharan Africa's most symbolic river. Equipped with help from one of Mobutu's henchmen and an ailing guide, Tayler finds things far from plain sailing. Negotiating corrupt officialdom, murderous peoples on the riverbanks, widespread suspicion and the dangers of the river itself, he ultimately finds his plans too demanding to be fully realised.

Tayler's prose is often evocative and his story is a compelling one. But he tends to load his descriptions with adjectives, which can over-dramatise situations. Of course this is a dramatic adventure, and Tayler tells it well, but at the end you can't help feeling that too little attention is paid to the root causes of both his troubles and the current situation in the Congo--rubber fever, greed and a callous European superiority complex. --Toby Green -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verf�gbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.

From Booklist

Tayler vividly recalls his 1995 1,100-mile journey through the jungle and crocodile-infested waters of sub-Saharan Africa. Along with a guide, he traveled first on a barge and then in a hand-carved, dugout canoe called a pirogue^B, navigating the treacherous Congo River. Among the dangers he faced were corrupt officials and soldiers demanding bribes, suffocating heat, rats, lizards, blackflies, maggots, torrential rains, hordes of mosquitoes, the threat of malaria and sleeping sickness, and hostile tribes. He remembers, like it was yesterday, floating marketplaces, fishermen, deckhands, prostitutes, stately gum trees, bare-breasted women, men dressed only in loincloths, the Milky Way, and clumps of water hyacinth. Tayler's use of hackneyed dialogue and phrases--"he harrumphed," "he gulped," "the Colonel leaned forward, shouting 'Ha-ha-haa'"--is annoying, but his remarkable journey is a trip that readers won't want to miss. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verf�gbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.

Alle Produktbeschreibungen

Kundenrezensionen

Die hilfreichsten Kundenrezensionen

2 von 2 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich

Fesselnde und wahrheitsgetreue Erzaehlung vom Kongo 7. Juni 2003

Von "augstburger"

Format:Taschenbuch

Tayler begiebt sich mit seiner Absicht den Kongo Fluss mit einem Einstamm hinunter zu fahren in die Hoelle des Loewen. Entsprechend machte er seine Erfahrungen und stoesst an die Grenzen, was ein 'Mundele' in Afrika zu unternehmen faehig ist. Noch zur Zeit Mobutus muss dieses Unterfangen einiges abenteuerlicher und gefaehrlicher gewesen sein, als es heute waere. Der Bericht ist faszinierend, spannend und laesst einem kaum mehr los. Er ist wahrheitsgetreu und erinnert mich in vielen Passagen an meinen eigenen Aufenthalt im Kongo-Kinshasa und Mbandaka. Alles in Allem sehr empfehlenswert um auch fuer Afrika-Unerfahrene einen Einblick in die wilde Seite dieses Kontinents zu erhalten.

Kommentar |

War diese Rezension f�r Sie hilfreich?

Nein

Die hilfreichsten Kundenrezensionen auf Amazon.com ^(beta)

Amazon.com: 8 Rezensionen

8 von 8 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich

Facing Central Africa through TAYLER'S eyes 1. Februar 2001

Von Ein Kunde - Ver�ffentlicht auf Amazon.com

Format:Gebundene Ausgabe

Jeffrey Taylor's book Facing the Congo gives an insight into the former-Zaire, as well as a brief view of Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo. His book contributes immensely to an outsider's inside view of Zaire and how a leader by the name of Mobutu Sese Seko, along with western support, de-moralized and contributed to the present state-of-affairs in the newly renamed DRC. Jeffrey Tayler's cautious and realistic approach to the region does justice to the task that was at hand. Neither does Tayler make stereotypical assumptions, nor does he grossly inflate his story, he tells the situation as it was, and is.

For people who are interested in the Central Africa region, this book is highly recommended as a nice travelogue written by a mondele who sought to travel the River Congo and document his experiences. As someone who has traveled throughout this region, I can personally say that I have had similar experiences as Jeffrey Tayler has had.

For those who consider themselves 'travelogue-junkies,' this book will be a nice addition to your collection(s)and imagination(s). This book will give you plenty of sights, smells, and images to think about as you read the book, and to further think about after you put it down.

Thanks Mr. Tayler for putting your experience on paper!

5 von 5 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich

Recommended reading for the armchair traveler 18. Mai 2001

Von Midwest Book Review - Ver�ffentlicht auf Amazon.com

Format:Gebundene Ausgabe

Part travelogue, part memoir, Jeffrey Tayler's Facing The Congo takes the reader on a memorable and fascinating journey into sub-Saharan Africa's crocodile waters and lush jungles, lush jungles, and a spectacular variety of merchants, deckhands, prostitutes, mothers, spiritual followers, fishermen, children, and many other assorted charecters. From lively marketplace banter to cramped, mosquito infested sleeping spaces, Facing The Congo is the story of Tayler's trip up and down the legendary Congo River complete with fog covered backwaters, hostile tribes, and true-life high adventure. Facing The Congo is thoroughly satisfying, enthusiastically recommended reading for the armchair traveler.

6 von 7 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich

A Real Page Turner 10. Januar 2001

Von "aguercio" - Ver�ffentlicht auf Amazon.com

Format:Gebundene Ausgabe

This was an excellent book. It details the trials and tribulations of a mans journey down the navigable part of the Congo River before the fall of Zairean President Mobutu. Everything, from his experiences in the lively cities of Brazzaville, Kinshasa and Kisangani to awaiting the perils just around the curve of the river, make this an exciting read. This also gives some insight into Central African modern history and culture as well.

› Gehen Sie zu Amazon.com, um alle 8 Rezensionen zu sehen

Waren diese Rezensionen hilfreich? Wir wollen von Ihnen h�ren.

Kunden diskutieren