Customer Reviews

Horn of Africa: A Novel

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Caputo' Horn of Africa is a well-written novel in a style that emulates or aspires to Graham Greene or Joseph Conrad. I enjoyed the book, and admired the writer but the story never completely 'clicked' for me.
Horn of Africa is a psychological/military thrill that takes place in a fictional province of Ethiopia, Bejaya, that closely resembles Eritrea but is not really supposed to be anyplace. The story is told through a first person narrative of one of the characters, Charlie Gage. Gage is a burnt out journalist hanging around Cairo. He's recruited by a simultaneously creepy, pompous and shadowy CIA character to go along on a clandestine mission to Bejaya to assist local rebels against the Ethiopians. Gage is joined on his mission by an uptight, by the book Britain with local experience and a larger than life American, Jeremy Nordstrand, with a borderline psychotic sociopathic philosophy about life and their mission. Nordstrand is both philosopher (in a base way) and soldier, with obvious capabilities despite his slightly unbalanced philosophy. Soon enough, he becomes the group's real leader. Nordstrand first willingly descends into violence, testing both himself and his idea of society, and then slowly descends into madness.
Caputo has Gage set the tone of the novel in the first two pages: the reader knows that this is not a story with a happy ending, and that ugly things happen. This is both good an bad: I thought it simultaneously gave a great sense of foreboding throughout the novel, but when the dark events occur they were anti-climatic.
Also, Nordstrand wore his psychosis on his sleeve, as did the British character. I had a hard time believing that they would be put in a position of power on an important mission, rogue or not. The story was interesting but the base premise, in my mind, was a little hard to believe.
Anyway, I don't think you will be disappointed by Horn of Africa. Its extremely well written with deep characterizations, and an interesting story. Is it quite up to Conrad or Greene? Maybe on one of the formers' worst days... but its still a good novel and a worthwhile read.

A well-written, descriptive, metaphorical voyage into the heart of darkness. Three mercaneries are hired to run guns to a guerilla group in Africa and train a rebel Moslem tribe. The three men are abandoned there to work out their own differences and personal salvations. Civilization as we know it did not exist, and the dark side of human nature is exposed; the side without restraint, pity or conscience.

This is another stellar piece of writing in Caputo's body of work. The Voyage and Rumor of War are also strongly recommended.

Why is this great book out of print? This is a modern classic, a superb, dark story of violence and irregular warfare in Northern Africa. Powerfully evocative of place and time, with three unforgettable main protagonists.

Caputo here gives us Conrad in a modern context--and in a way we of the Pepsi generation can understand. Herein we find supposedly civilized men thrust into a primitive situation; but then, what is war, anyway? Who are the savages? Lines drawn by rationalism are blown away by the winds of the moment. The story will grab you by the neck, and you will see man as he naturally is.

A wonderful novel. The story is interesting, the characterizations are outstanding. I really enjoyed the way Mr. Caputo handled the conversations between the characters - it seems extremely realistic, you feel as though you are there yourself. Why oh why is this book out of print?

Horn of Africa is an overwhleming story of fate, irony and the fall of man set against a backdrop of African revolution. It is the best of the Bridge over the River Kwai and Gunga Din. Too bad it never was made into a movie . . . yet.

This is quite simply a devastating book. Caputo's gift for creating memorable characters only scratches the surface of this complex book. It is unfortunately an overlooked piece of work. A rare classic indeed.

Horn of Africa is the tale of three men who have, for different reasons, found themselves figuratively and literally at the boundaries of civilization. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to leave civilization and abandon everything society has ingrained into you, but wonder if it is possible to return from that abyss, then Horn of Africa is for you

Philip Caputo's Horn of Africa is probably not his best novel, but is a pleasurably brisk read. Though it is set in the Cold War of the late 70s, current events in the Horn of Africa ensure that it remains quite relevant.

Like other reviewers here, I found the characters a bit too stark. Nordstrand, the Nietzschean superman was drawn a little too simply for my tastes. Moody was a bit too . . . well, moody - he clearly stood at the opposite end of the spectrum; his various hangups make him ultimately a farcical character worthy of Noel Coward. Nonetheless, the clash between these two archetypes is rendered memorably, and Caputo gives careful thought to both their actions and dialogue.

At heart, this is a novel about war and the things that outsiders bring to other peoples wars and Horn of Africa ultimately feels true, even as it gives us these stark, uncomplicated characters. It stands up well as a cautionary tale about regarding war as any kind of opportunity for self-definition, as anything other than a wrecker of human beings.

If you've never read one of his books, you are missing out! I have yet to read one that I didn't enjoy. I liked it so much I gave it to my dad, who also loved Caputo's "A Rumor of War" and we are both big fans of his books.