This is an exceptional book. If Tim Butcher had been travelling through the Democratic Republic of Congo at the time of Stanley and Livingstone it would have been remarkable. To be travelling in this millennium the the geography and geology remain the same, but the history is longer but it is the politics and weaponry of our time that make the revelations of this book so astounding. The legacy of 'outsiders' is both astonishing and depressing - in the villages it is the older generation who know about trains, lorries and motorbikes, the young have never encountered them. Butcher gives voice to the resilience and response of the indigenous population alongside those who are trying to bring stability and hope to their future. 'We head for the bush' was the usual response to any whiff of trouble. Butcher has certainly done his homework thoroughly. Through his eyes we see how this vast area has become so vulnerable to pillage of its people as well as its mineral resources, through the activities of Europeans and Arabs over the past couple of centuries. A fascinating read. I would have liked more photographs.

I was recommended this book having bought and read several on the Congo - from King Leopold's Ghost to in the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz.

The book starts of promisingly by covering the initial discovery of the Congo by a band of Portuguese explorers in the time before HM Stanley and King Leopold. However, after this everyting changes. It also ends well with a brief summary of the current situation in the Congo and why there has been a unique lack of progress internationally in trying to resuscitate the Congo. However, the rest of the book is a disappointment.

A good travel book should not only talk of the journey, which this book does, but also talk of the events behind every stop-over or every incident, which this book does not.

You really do get the sense that he doesn't really care that much for the country or situation around him, but is only there to try and emulate HM Stanley and travel down the Congo. The author only becomes interested in the situation in the Congo when his life is threatened or his journey is interrupted in some way. Therefore describing this as 'the story of the Congo, told expertly and vividly', as it does on the cover page, is far from the truth.

Every single stop over that he has talks of the dangers of being in built up areas and brieflt mentions the Mai Mai, Interahamwe etc, but he never really looks into anything about why these crazed militias exist. This lack of detail, investigation and insight is repeated throughout this book and ultimately you are left with more questions than answers.

It is a pity and a real shame. The book had so much potential, but is ultimately ruined by its short length and the authors lack of interest.