Customer Reviews

East Along the Equator: A Journey up the Congo and into Zaire (Traveler / Atlantic Monthly Press)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"East Along the Equator: A Journey Up the Congo and into Zaire" is an excellent account of a journey across Central Africa (in what was then Zaire) in the early 1980s. Winternitz and her companion traveled by river barge along the entire navigable portion of the Congo river, from Kinshasa to Kisangani. The Congo river barges are legendary among 'extreme' travelers. The end of Belgian colonization of the Congo meant the end of roads, making the river the only practical way to travel between Kinshasa and Kisangani. These river barges are (were?) floating villages, complete with markets and nightclubs populated by traders who make their livelihood onboard, as well as travelers going from place to place. From Kisangani the journey continues overland, to an eventual return to Kinshasa by air. In Kinshasa the pair are arrested and interrogated by the secret police after interviewing a politician opposed to president Moubutu. Winternitz gives an even-handed and interesting account of the journey, along with relevant history and background information. The book contains a good bibliography. This book was journalism when it was first published, and it is still worth reading today, as a document of the Congo under Moubutu.

This book is a rarity. I have read histories of Africa and I've read travelogues set in Africa and on other continents. But never have I read such a readable and illuminating mix of the two. If you're interested in Africa, read this book. If you like fine writing, get this book.

This book was truly fascinating. I read it shortly after reading The Poisonwood Bible, which had sparked my curiousity about central Africa. The author and her boyfriend set out on a trip across Zaire with no real idea of how they would get to their destination, and ended up dealing with situations that were so far beyond my frame of reference that I could scarcely imagine them. The author generally writes well and conveys a good sense of the tribulations and frustrations - as well as some moments of optimism - they encountered along the way as they got an unusually close-up view of the people and culture of the country. My only quibble with the book has to do with the inordinate number of typos.

It has been many years since I read this book, but I was very glad to see it is still in print. It is entertaining and well-written, and gives insights into travel (and life)in Africa that I have not seen elsewhere.

I'm delighted to see this book available as I thought it was long out of print. This is among the most astounding adventure travels that I have ever read. Although it's been years since I read it, many of her experiences remain vivid in my memory.

"East Along the Equator: A Journey Up the Congo and into Zaire" is an excellent account of a journey across Central Africa (in what was then Zaire) in the early 1980s. Winternitz and her companion traveled by river barge along the entire navigable portion of the Congo river, from Kinshasa to Kisangani. The Congo river barges are legendary among 'extreme' travelers. The end of Belgian colonization of the Congo meant the end of roads, making the river the only practical way to travel between Kinshasa and Kisangani. These river barges are (were?) floating villages, complete with markets and nightclubs populated by traders who make their livelihood onboard, as well as travelers going from place to place. From Kisangani the journey continues overland, to an eventual return to Kinshasa by air. In Kinshasa the pair are arrested and interrogated by the secret police after interviewing a politician opposed to president Moubutu. Winternitz gives an even-handed and interesting account of the journey, along with relevant history and background information. The book contains a good bibliography. This book was journalism when it was first published, and it is still worth reading today, as a document of the Congo under Moubutu.

I'm delighted to see this book available as I thought it was long out of print. This is among the most astounding adventure travels that I have ever read. Although it's been years since I read it, many of her experiences remain vivid in my memory.

Zaire isn't easy to get through, but the author certainly gave it her all making the trek. As a travel piece, I'd give it five stars. However, I'm deducting a couple of points for the politics. I disagree strongly with the author's conclusions/assessments. She and her partner shouldn't have been so surprised by their "arrest" just before leaving; while others were left to rot in jail, tortured, etc. they were able to feast at the embassador's residence under a sort of "house arrest" until Mobutu finally got sick of toying with them and gave their passports back.

This book is rare, both a pageturner and an incisive analysis of colonialism and U.S. policy in central Africa. The best description I've read of the Congo and its history. The writing is excellent.

This is a fine book. It takes the reader into the heart of Africa and into the heart of American foreign policy. The New Yorker described it as "wonderfully well written," and it is.