31 March 2012
The Magic of Reality, by Richard Dawkins
The Soccer War, by Ryszard Kapuscinski
Another from the famous journalist, & another fascinating read, this time about Africa & its emergence from colonialism. Notable for the author's numerous scrapes with impending execution it also details some of the characters who lead their countries from under colonial rule. It illuminates their personalities & often their tragic fate, with humour & pathos, however not quite as hard-hitting as Imperium. 3/5.
Labels:
biography,
books,
history,
non-fiction,
sociology
Imperium, by Ryszard Kapuscinski
Fascinating, compelling & often harrowing account of one man's experience of the former Soviet Union. From hellish personal WWII experiences through to survivors stories from the gulags & famines the horror of the former communist state is described through the people it affected & killed. The futility of its efforts at imposing ideologoy for the benefit of a few is tragically exposed through the disastrous consequences it had for the many. Its collapse could not come soon enough & hopefully we'll never see the likes of an empire like this again. 5/5.
Labels:
biography,
books,
history,
non-fiction,
sociology
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