Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart - Tim Butcher

When "Daily Telegraph" correspondent Tim Butcher was sent to cover Africa in 2000 he quickly became obsessed with the idea of recreating H. M. Stanley's famous expedition - but travelling alone. Despite warnings that his plan was 'suicidal', Butcher set out for the Congo's eastern border with just a rucksack and a few thousand dollars hidden in his boots. Making his way in an assortment of vessels including a motorbike and a dugout canoe, helped along by a cast of characters from UN aid workers to a campaigning pygmy, he followed in the footsteps of the great Victorian adventurers. Butcher's journey was a remarkable feat, but the story of the Congo, told expertly and vividly in this book, is more remarkable still.

Tim Butcher decides to try and follow the Congo overland - a journey not done by many white foreigners with very unexpected results.  It took me a little while to get into this book, its very heavy reading and full of facts and history of the Congo. However once you get into it, it is a very fascinating read.  If I'm honest i skimmed some of the history parts as i could not feel like i knew enough about the congo and i could not relate to them, but his journey is incredible.

As a telegraph writer, it follows that kind of style of writing, which can be hard to read huge sections of this at a time. But behind that is a very determined journalist. After hearing of some of the things he went through - dehindation, lack of food and resources, you did want to yell at him to stop. But his determination and grit to get it done turns this into an epic journey.

Not knowing anything about the congo, i have learnt a lot from this novel, and you feel sorry for the people living around the river in the heart of africa. From what they have suffered to how they are suffering now, with lack of adequate food or facilities.  Butcher paints a very good picture of what is going on in an area we rarely hear about.

The novel itself was very good, albeit it sad.  The writing was heavy, but get past that and you find an excellent travel book/history book rolled into one.  If you are interested about other lives and cultures I would recommend this novel.