I have recently returned from a stress-free month in Cape Town. While I was there I spent a happy hour sharing travel and publishing stories with Tim Butcher, author of the best-selling (and terrific) Blood River.
The book recounts a journey through DR Congo, and delves into the country's chaotic past. It is a superb tale, movingly told in crisp yet profound prose. I learned much about African history and found myself envying him his experiences, while stirring in me the urge to plan another journey. All the things you want from great travel writing.
The strapline to Tim's book is 'A journey to Africa's broken heart'. It's a reminder that travelling through Africa can grip the emotions like no other place.
Good writing can do that too. And for that reason I emphatically recommend Blood River to anyone who enjoys a tightly-written but multi-layered travel story and who would like to peek into a dark corner of the world.
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