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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
War correspondence as literature, January 6, 2000
Ryszard Kapuscinski has written more celebrated books, has grappled with more complex questions of geo-politics, but this small, simple account of life on the inside of the collapse of blighted African country should be read by everyone with an interest in Africa, journalism, or plain good writing. Representing a Polish news agency, Kapuscinski stays behind when Portugal abandons Angola and the barbarians come hurtling towards the gate. He is without protection in a country mad with fear, suspicion, and messy death. His meditation on the concept of "confusao" - the Portugese version of confusion - is priceless. His accounts of travelling to battle-zones on empty roads are terrifying. How good is his information? Will they be ambushed? Will the next roadblock be friendly or will they be pulled from their car and killed? Are the risks worth taking? Does anybody out there care? Kapuscinski renders the absurdity and deep tragedy of Africa's post-colonial wars with great compassion. It is a moving, sad, funny and often breathtaking book - the mark against which other journalists' "I was there" books should properly be measured.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A tremendously informative book, June 17, 2002
This review is from: Another Day of Life (Paperback)
Kapuscinski's "Another Day of Life" was a complete impulse buy for me. Why is it that these are very often the most enjoyable and satifying reading experiences? This slim 144-page, novella-like volume taught me so much about Angola, it's Portugese colonial heritage, the factional fighting that developed in the 60s & came to a head during Kapuscinski's three-month stay in the country in 1975, and the eye-opening level of involvement of such players as Cuba and South Africa. The amazing thing is *how little* things have changed since 1975. Since the fall of Portugal's dictatorship, there has been constant battle for almost 30 years. Jonas Savimbi - introduced here as a very young freedom fighter - was killed in battle only a short time ago. Added bonus: There's a wonderfully sparse little map of the country & the borders of its neighbors at the front of the book. You'll thumb back to that page no less than 50 times while reading "Another Day of Life." The title is apropos..when one of the characters utters the it two-thirds of the way into the book, I thought it was the perfect line at the perfect time. No wonder they culled it out of the book and had it serve as the title as well. I plan on reading the rest of Kapuscinski's works now.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent read, March 12, 2002
This review is from: Another Day of Life (Paperback)
I read parts of the Emperor in college and expected a lot of this book. Well, it delivered. Kapuscinski shows more in this book about the civil war in Angola than one would expect. They say that a good journalist stays impartial and doesn't get involved with his story, but this proves the opposite. The author goes to Angola at the last minute and burrows into the country. He almost becomes a citizen, learning the local custom and showing how life actually is. This book is full of insight into the human condition, the problems caused by colonialism, and how stupid war can be. This isn't a war of the front and trenches, its chaos. Chaos dictated by the rules of living in a harsh place like Angola. The weekends are days of rest, the heat prevents battle, children fight and lose interest. Kapuscinski shows a side to this civil war, and in turn other wars, that you never get to see. This books is funny, touching, sad, and well written. It reads like a novel, it has character and place. The difference is its true. An excellent book for the history lover or the literary lover.
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