JOHN LE CARRE

Quite superb…..a masterpiece

WILLIAM BOYD

Tim Butcher's extraordinary, audacious journey through the Congo is worthy of the great 19th century explorers. Completely enthralling but also a thoughtful and sobering portrait of modern Africa

ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH

A remarkable, fascinating book by a courageous and perceptive writer. One of the most exciting books to emerge from Africa in recent years.

THE SUNDAY TIMES

Tim Butcher's book is the latest in a long line, running through Joseph Conrad, Graham Greene, VS Nai-paul… his account of a hair-rising trip from east to west, against all advice, by motorbike and then river boat, is gripping and harshly informative…

MAX HASTINGS

Blood River represents a remarkable marriage of travelogue and history, which deserves to make Tim Butcher a star for his prose, as well as his courage.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

From his adventure he has plundered a wealth of terrific stories, and survived to recite a rosary of unstinting horror.

FERGAL KEANE

This is a terrific book, an adventure story about a journey of great bravery in one of the world's most dangerous places. It keeps the heart beating and the attention fixed from beginning to end.

HATCHARDS

…unputdownable…

GILES FODEN

An intrepid adventure... Tim Butcher has followed in the footsteps of Stanley and Conrad. It takes a lot of guts to yomp through the Congo and he obviously has plenty of those. But it is the wit and passion of the writing which keeps you engrossed.

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

..stirring and thought-provoking.

AESTHETICA MAGAZINE

….a remarkable travelogue of exquisite proportions…. highly emotive, historical and personal…Butcher's elegant style demands the reader's attention…….Blood River is nothing short of a modern-day masterpiece.

WANDERLUST

What makes Blood River such a compelling read is the fact that the journey becomes an exercise in mental terror, the author skilfully conveying the exhaustion of six weeks on tenterhooks, wondering what might happen just around the next bend.

THOMAS PAKENHAM

Tim Butcher deserves a medal for this crazy feat. I marvel at his courage and his empathy with the unfortunate Congolese...

ESQUIRE

…gripping…

TRAVEL AFRICA

The past meets present in this enthralling travelogue through the depths of the Congo.

puker factor for the ordinary man, 08 Jan 2009
This is a travel book extraordinaire,
As a person who travels alone on business abroad I could understand fully the fear factor of being a strange face in a dodgy place

The writer looks to have prepared well over 3 years to pull off a fantastic read


A Shocking Insight, 23 Nov 2008
Quite simply I gave this book top marks because it gave such a clear and shocking insight into the DR Congo. Before reading this book I had not been aware of how depraved and destroyed this country is and has continued to be for so long. Whilst outside countries continue to pillage this wonderful country it will remain one of the most saddest stories of world history. The fact that most of the wildlife has now been destroyed across this country gives a good indication of how desperate the people's lives have become. Thank you Tim. Good luck people of DR Congo.

An easy to read travelogue, but nothing more., 16 Nov 2008
One has to admit that Tim Butcher's journey through the war torn DRC is an amazing exploit, albeit more than slightly foolish! The same cannot be said about the book. It's an easy to read travel story which is decent entertainment on a long haul flight, but I cannot understand the purpose of the book. Partly a travel narrative and partly a historic recount of Stanley's voyage through the Congo, it fails to achieve depth in both. It is also a denunciation of Congo's colonial masters, their Congolese successors and Congo's neighbours who play a role in the East-Congo conflict. It is quite repetitive: if you didn't know that Kinshasa used to be called Leopoldville and Kisangani is the contemporary name of Stanleyville, you will never forget after reading this book. A disappointment given the grandeur of the trip itself.

Feel the heat and start sweating, 06 Nov 2008
Simply a great travel book. Tim somehow manages to convey the sticky, claustrophobic atmosphere and undertones of malice and danger he experienced. We feel his discomfort, his pain, his fear, his hunger, his loss of hope for the land he travelled through. But he also introduces us to some ordinary or rather extraordinary human beings who helped him in his journey. They demonstrate real courage and determination in simply surviving without losing dignity. He doesn't rose tint his environment and vividly portrays the cruel nature of those with power in DRC. This book says a lot more about humanity than just about a journey. If you are interested in Africa then read this book.

Fascinating and insightful, 24 Sep 2008
Full of insight into the Congo, its history and relationships with its neighbours. The author's personal story makes it a good read, thanks to his detemination, sensitivity and the hardship he endures. The information he includes gives it a valuable educational quality. At the end I was filled with frustation, a sense of futility verging on anger. Colonisation has left scars and horror everywhere. It is understandable that the Congo may want to forget all that it was as a Belgian colony. But what is in its place?
Reminiscent of the potential and beauties of Africa and its people, there is a seeming disabilty for the Congo to rise above its past and take control of its future. The author clearly makes the point that in other parts of the world, this has happened successfully.
If you want to look inside the Congo (Africa?), and try to understand its issues this is 'must read'. But be prepared to wrestle with these issues, which the author so brilliantly highlights, for a long time afterwards.

puker factor for the ordinary man, 08 Jan 2009
This is a travel book extraordinaire,
As a person who travels alone on business abroad I could understand fully the fear factor of being a strange face in a dodgy place

The writer looks to have prepared well over 3 years to pull off a fantastic read


A Shocking Insight, 23 Nov 2008
Quite simply I gave this book top marks because it gave such a clear and shocking insight into the DR Congo. Before reading this book I had not been aware of how depraved and destroyed this country is and has continued to be for so long. Whilst outside countries continue to pillage this wonderful country it will remain one of the most saddest stories of world history. The fact that most of the wildlife has now been destroyed across this country gives a good indication of how desperate the people's lives have become. Thank you Tim. Good luck people of DR Congo.

An easy to read travelogue, but nothing more., 16 Nov 2008
One has to admit that Tim Butcher's journey through the war torn DRC is an amazing exploit, albeit more than slightly foolish! The same cannot be said about the book. It's an easy to read travel story which is decent entertainment on a long haul flight, but I cannot understand the purpose of the book. Partly a travel narrative and partly a historic recount of Stanley's voyage through the Congo, it fails to achieve depth in both. It is also a denunciation of Congo's colonial masters, their Congolese successors and Congo's neighbours who play a role in the East-Congo conflict. It is quite repetitive: if you didn't know that Kinshasa used to be called Leopoldville and Kisangani is the contemporary name of Stanleyville, you will never forget after reading this book. A disappointment given the grandeur of the trip itself.

Feel the heat and start sweating, 06 Nov 2008
Simply a great travel book. Tim somehow manages to convey the sticky, claustrophobic atmosphere and undertones of malice and danger he experienced. We feel his discomfort, his pain, his fear, his hunger, his loss of hope for the land he travelled through. But he also introduces us to some ordinary or rather extraordinary human beings who helped him in his journey. They demonstrate real courage and determination in simply surviving without losing dignity. He doesn't rose tint his environment and vividly portrays the cruel nature of those with power in DRC. This book says a lot more about humanity than just about a journey. If you are interested in Africa then read this book.

Fascinating and insightful, 24 Sep 2008
Full of insight into the Congo, its history and relationships with its neighbours. The author's personal story makes it a good read, thanks to his detemination, sensitivity and the hardship he endures. The information he includes gives it a valuable educational quality. At the end I was filled with frustation, a sense of futility verging on anger. Colonisation has left scars and horror everywhere. It is understandable that the Congo may want to forget all that it was as a Belgian colony. But what is in its place?
Reminiscent of the potential and beauties of Africa and its people, there is a seeming disabilty for the Congo to rise above its past and take control of its future. The author clearly makes the point that in other parts of the world, this has happened successfully.
If you want to look inside the Congo (Africa?), and try to understand its issues this is 'must read'. But be prepared to wrestle with these issues, which the author so brilliantly highlights, for a long time afterwards.


NOT a comedy!, 23 Apr 2008
One of the most terrifying, depressing journeys into the heart of darkness. That there are human beings on earth that still behave like some of the congolese in this book is frankly ming-boggling. Very relevant in light of the current unstable situation in this part of the world. O'Hanlan is a brilliant writer and a noble man, but this book is not the one to start a stampede of mass tourism to central africa!!

a good read spoiled., 31 Dec 2007
Almost a great read, however far! to! many! annoying! punctuation mistakes-glibly passes over death and illness of native africans whist focussing on the nipple size of a picked up doxy. Buy and read "Dark Star Safari" by Paul Theroux instead. A much more perceptive commentary with more humanity.

Vivid , 18 Sep 2006
Many of the reviews on this book's cover talk of Redmond O'Hanlon as the funniest travel writer. This book then comes as a real surprise. This is not comedy but a vivid, at times disturbing and moving account of life down the Congo river. O Hanlon captures the beliefs, hardships and almost hopeless plight of the people as well as any book on sub saharan africa i have read. His descriptions of the wildlife and vegetation are alive and detailed as well but for me it is the people that make this stand apart in travel literature.

Very funny, meticulously detailed account of tropical travel, 03 Sep 2001
Having travelling in tropical rainforest myself, I could identify with some of the trials and tribulations encountered in this book. It is one of the few books I have ever read which I began again as soon as I had completed it. Redmond's ability to recall events in devastatingly amusing detail will compel me to read anything else he publishes.

one of the few books to stick in the memory...., 26 Apr 2000
Compulsive readers, as I have found to my own cost,while being immensely satisfied, educated and entertained by the book they have just read, often remember little of it even after a few months. People like myself, with a system - namely keeping subject matter varied, and never visiting similar ground too frequently - simply forget the finer points, the pearls of wisdom, and the sheer style and skill of the writing. It is now perhaps two years since I read Congo Journey, and it is perhaps the only book that I can remember and still admire after that time. In brief, the elements that make up classic travel writing - the journey itself, the characters and the observations along the way - are all dealt with with such skill, sensitivity and enjoyment, that it is hard not to be sucked into this journey, and the Congo, which let's face it, few of us will ever experience. Travel writers can be arrogant, sarcastic and boorish types. Or they can produce work like this. A rare treat, for anyone with the desire to read - and become involved and immersed in, a book of this type. Brilliant.

JOHN LE CARRE

Quite superb…..a masterpiece

WILLIAM BOYD

Tim Butcher's extraordinary, audacious journey through the Congo is worthy of the great 19th century explorers. Completely enthralling but also a thoughtful and sobering portrait of modern Africa

ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH

A remarkable, fascinating book by a courageous and perceptive writer. One of the most exciting books to emerge from Africa in recent years.

THE SUNDAY TIMES

Tim Butcher's book is the latest in a long line, running through Joseph Conrad, Graham Greene, VS Nai-paul… his account of a hair-rising trip from east to west, against all advice, by motorbike and then river boat, is gripping and harshly informative…

MAX HASTINGS

Blood River represents a remarkable marriage of travelogue and history, which deserves to make Tim Butcher a star for his prose, as well as his courage.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

From his adventure he has plundered a wealth of terrific stories, and survived to recite a rosary of unstinting horror.

FERGAL KEANE

This is a terrific book, an adventure story about a journey of great bravery in one of the world's most dangerous places. It keeps the heart beating and the attention fixed from beginning to end.

HATCHARDS

…unputdownable…

GILES FODEN

An intrepid adventure... Tim Butcher has followed in the footsteps of Stanley and Conrad. It takes a lot of guts to yomp through the Congo and he obviously has plenty of those. But it is the wit and passion of the writing which keeps you engrossed.

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

..stirring and thought-provoking.

AESTHETICA MAGAZINE

….a remarkable travelogue of exquisite proportions…. highly emotive, historical and personal…Butcher's elegant style demands the reader's attention…….Blood River is nothing short of a modern-day masterpiece.

WANDERLUST

What makes Blood River such a compelling read is the fact that the journey becomes an exercise in mental terror, the author skilfully conveying the exhaustion of six weeks on tenterhooks, wondering what might happen just around the next bend.

THOMAS PAKENHAM

Tim Butcher deserves a medal for this crazy feat. I marvel at his courage and his empathy with the unfortunate Congolese...

ESQUIRE

…gripping…

TRAVEL AFRICA

The past meets present in this enthralling travelogue through the depths of the Congo.

puker factor for the ordinary man, 08 Jan 2009
This is a travel book extraordinaire,
As a person who travels alone on business abroad I could understand fully the fear factor of being a strange face in a dodgy place

The writer looks to have prepared well over 3 years to pull off a fantastic read


A Shocking Insight, 23 Nov 2008
Quite simply I gave this book top marks because it gave such a clear and shocking insight into the DR Congo. Before reading this book I had not been aware of how depraved and destroyed this country is and has continued to be for so long. Whilst outside countries continue to pillage this wonderful country it will remain one of the most saddest stories of world history. The fact that most of the wildlife has now been destroyed across this country gives a good indication of how desperate the people's lives have become. Thank you Tim. Good luck people of DR Congo.

An easy to read travelogue, but nothing more., 16 Nov 2008
One has to admit that Tim Butcher's journey through the war torn DRC is an amazing exploit, albeit more than slightly foolish! The same cannot be said about the book. It's an easy to read travel story which is decent entertainment on a long haul flight, but I cannot understand the purpose of the book. Partly a travel narrative and partly a historic recount of Stanley's voyage through the Congo, it fails to achieve depth in both. It is also a denunciation of Congo's colonial masters, their Congolese successors and Congo's neighbours who play a role in the East-Congo conflict. It is quite repetitive: if you didn't know that Kinshasa used to be called Leopoldville and Kisangani is the contemporary name of Stanleyville, you will never forget after reading this book. A disappointment given the grandeur of the trip itself.

Feel the heat and start sweating, 06 Nov 2008
Simply a great travel book. Tim somehow manages to convey the sticky, claustrophobic atmosphere and undertones of malice and danger he experienced. We feel his discomfort, his pain, his fear, his hunger, his loss of hope for the land he travelled through. But he also introduces us to some ordinary or rather extraordinary human beings who helped him in his journey. They demonstrate real courage and determination in simply surviving without losing dignity. He doesn't rose tint his environment and vividly portrays the cruel nature of those with power in DRC. This book says a lot more about humanity than just about a journey. If you are interested in Africa then read this book.

Fascinating and insightful, 24 Sep 2008
Full of insight into the Congo, its history and relationships with its neighbours. The author's personal story makes it a good read, thanks to his detemination, sensitivity and the hardship he endures. The information he includes gives it a valuable educational quality. At the end I was filled with frustation, a sense of futility verging on anger. Colonisation has left scars and horror everywhere. It is understandable that the Congo may want to forget all that it was as a Belgian colony. But what is in its place?
Reminiscent of the potential and beauties of Africa and its people, there is a seeming disabilty for the Congo to rise above its past and take control of its future. The author clearly makes the point that in other parts of the world, this has happened successfully.
If you want to look inside the Congo (Africa?), and try to understand its issues this is 'must read'. But be prepared to wrestle with these issues, which the author so brilliantly highlights, for a long time afterwards.


NOT a comedy!, 23 Apr 2008
One of the most terrifying, depressing journeys into the heart of darkness. That there are human beings on earth that still behave like some of the congolese in this book is frankly ming-boggling. Very relevant in light of the current unstable situation in this part of the world. O'Hanlan is a brilliant writer and a noble man, but this book is not the one to start a stampede of mass tourism to central africa!!

a good read spoiled., 31 Dec 2007
Almost a great read, however far! to! many! annoying! punctuation mistakes-glibly passes over death and illness of native africans whist focussing on the nipple size of a picked up doxy. Buy and read "Dark Star Safari" by Paul Theroux instead. A much more perceptive commentary with more humanity.

Vivid , 18 Sep 2006
Many of the reviews on this book's cover talk of Redmond O'Hanlon as the funniest travel writer. This book then comes as a real surprise. This is not comedy but a vivid, at times disturbing and moving account of life down the Congo river. O Hanlon captures the beliefs, hardships and almost hopeless plight of the people as well as any book on sub saharan africa i have read. His descriptions of the wildlife and vegetation are alive and detailed as well but for me it is the people that make this stand apart in travel literature.

Very funny, meticulously detailed account of tropical travel, 03 Sep 2001
Having travelling in tropical rainforest myself, I could identify with some of the trials and tribulations encountered in this book. It is one of the few books I have ever read which I began again as soon as I had completed it. Redmond's ability to recall events in devastatingly amusing detail will compel me to read anything else he publishes.

one of the few books to stick in the memory...., 26 Apr 2000
Compulsive readers, as I have found to my own cost,while being immensely satisfied, educated and entertained by the book they have just read, often remember little of it even after a few months. People like myself, with a system - namely keeping subject matter varied, and never visiting similar ground too frequently - simply forget the finer points, the pearls of wisdom, and the sheer style and skill of the writing. It is now perhaps two years since I read Congo Journey, and it is perhaps the only book that I can remember and still admire after that time. In brief, the elements that make up classic travel writing - the journey itself, the characters and the observations along the way - are all dealt with with such skill, sensitivity and enjoyment, that it is hard not to be sucked into this journey, and the Congo, which let's face it, few of us will ever experience. Travel writers can be arrogant, sarcastic and boorish types. Or they can produce work like this. A rare treat, for anyone with the desire to read - and become involved and immersed in, a book of this type. Brilliant.

puker factor for the ordinary man, 08 Jan 2009
This is a travel book extraordinaire,
As a person who travels alone on business abroad I could understand fully the fear factor of being a strange face in a dodgy place

The writer looks to have prepared well over 3 years to pull off a fantastic read


A Shocking Insight, 23 Nov 2008
Quite simply I gave this book top marks because it gave such a clear and shocking insight into the DR Congo. Before reading this book I had not been aware of how depraved and destroyed this country is and has continued to be for so long. Whilst outside countries continue to pillage this wonderful country it will remain one of the most saddest stories of world history. The fact that most of the wildlife has now been destroyed across this country gives a good indication of how desperate the people's lives have become. Thank you Tim. Good luck people of DR Congo.

An easy to read travelogue, but nothing more., 16 Nov 2008
One has to admit that Tim Butcher's journey through the war torn DRC is an amazing exploit, albeit more than slightly foolish! The same cannot be said about the book. It's an easy to read travel story which is decent entertainment on a long haul flight, but I cannot understand the purpose of the book. Partly a travel narrative and partly a historic recount of Stanley's voyage through the Congo, it fails to achieve depth in both. It is also a denunciation of Congo's colonial masters, their Congolese successors and Congo's neighbours who play a role in the East-Congo conflict. It is quite repetitive: if you didn't know that Kinshasa used to be called Leopoldville and Kisangani is the contemporary name of Stanleyville, you will never forget after reading this book. A disappointment given the grandeur of the trip itself.

Feel the heat and start sweating, 06 Nov 2008
Simply a great travel book. Tim somehow manages to convey the sticky, claustrophobic atmosphere and undertones of malice and danger he experienced. We feel his discomfort, his pain, his fear, his hunger, his loss of hope for the land he travelled through. But he also introduces us to some ordinary or rather extraordinary human beings who helped him in his journey. They demonstrate real courage and determination in simply surviving without losing dignity. He doesn't rose tint his environment and vividly portrays the cruel nature of those with power in DRC. This book says a lot more about humanity than just about a journey. If you are interested in Africa then read this book.

Fascinating and insightful, 24 Sep 2008
Full of insight into the Congo, its history and relationships with its neighbours. The author's personal story makes it a good read, thanks to his detemination, sensitivity and the hardship he endures. The information he includes gives it a valuable educational quality. At the end I was filled with frustation, a sense of futility verging on anger. Colonisation has left scars and horror everywhere. It is understandable that the Congo may want to forget all that it was as a Belgian colony. But what is in its place?
Reminiscent of the potential and beauties of Africa and its people, there is a seeming disabilty for the Congo to rise above its past and take control of its future. The author clearly makes the point that in other parts of the world, this has happened successfully.
If you want to look inside the Congo (Africa?), and try to understand its issues this is 'must read'. But be prepared to wrestle with these issues, which the author so brilliantly highlights, for a long time afterwards.

puker factor for the ordinary man, 08 Jan 2009
This is a travel book extraordinaire,
As a person who travels alone on business abroad I could understand fully the fear factor of being a strange face in a dodgy place

The writer looks to have prepared well over 3 years to pull off a fantastic read


A Shocking Insight, 23 Nov 2008
Quite simply I gave this book top marks because it gave such a clear and shocking insight into the DR Congo. Before reading this book I had not been aware of how depraved and destroyed this country is and has continued to be for so long. Whilst outside countries continue to pillage this wonderful country it will remain one of the most saddest stories of world history. The fact that most of the wildlife has now been destroyed across this country gives a good indication of how desperate the people's lives have become. Thank you Tim. Good luck people of DR Congo.

An easy to read travelogue, but nothing more., 16 Nov 2008
One has to admit that Tim Butcher's journey through the war torn DRC is an amazing exploit, albeit more than slightly foolish! The same cannot be said about the book. It's an easy to read travel story which is decent entertainment on a long haul flight, but I cannot understand the purpose of the book. Partly a travel narrative and partly a historic recount of Stanley's voyage through the Congo, it fails to achieve depth in both. It is also a denunciation of Congo's colonial masters, their Congolese successors and Congo's neighbours who play a role in the East-Congo conflict. It is quite repetitive: if you didn't know that Kinshasa used to be called Leopoldville and Kisangani is the contemporary name of Stanleyville, you will never forget after reading this book. A disappointment given the grandeur of the trip itself.

Feel the heat and start sweating, 06 Nov 2008
Simply a great travel book. Tim somehow manages to convey the sticky, claustrophobic atmosphere and undertones of malice and danger he experienced. We feel his discomfort, his pain, his fear, his hunger, his loss of hope for the land he travelled through. But he also introduces us to some ordinary or rather extraordinary human beings who helped him in his journey. They demonstrate real courage and determination in simply surviving without losing dignity. He doesn't rose tint his environment and vividly portrays the cruel nature of those with power in DRC. This book says a lot more about humanity than just about a journey. If you are interested in Africa then read this book.

Fascinating and insightful, 24 Sep 2008
Full of insight into the Congo, its history and relationships with its neighbours. The author's personal story makes it a good read, thanks to his detemination, sensitivity and the hardship he endures. The information he includes gives it a valuable educational quality. At the end I was filled with frustation, a sense of futility verging on anger. Colonisation has left scars and horror everywhere. It is understandable that the Congo may want to forget all that it was as a Belgian colony. But what is in its place?
Reminiscent of the potential and beauties of Africa and its people, there is a seeming disabilty for the Congo to rise above its past and take control of its future. The author clearly makes the point that in other parts of the world, this has happened successfully.
If you want to look inside the Congo (Africa?), and try to understand its issues this is 'must read'. But be prepared to wrestle with these issues, which the author so brilliantly highlights, for a long time afterwards.


NOT a comedy!, 23 Apr 2008
One of the most terrifying, depressing journeys into the heart of darkness. That there are human beings on earth that still behave like some of the congolese in this book is frankly ming-boggling. Very relevant in light of the current unstable situation in this part of the world. O'Hanlan is a brilliant writer and a noble man, but this book is not the one to start a stampede of mass tourism to central africa!!

a good read spoiled., 31 Dec 2007
Almost a great read, however far! to! many! annoying! punctuation mistakes-glibly passes over death and illness of native africans whist focussing on the nipple size of a picked up doxy. Buy and read "Dark Star Safari" by Paul Theroux instead. A much more perceptive commentary with more humanity.

Vivid , 18 Sep 2006
Many of the reviews on this book's cover talk of Redmond O'Hanlon as the funniest travel writer. This book then comes as a real surprise. This is not comedy but a vivid, at times disturbing and moving account of life down the Congo river. O Hanlon captures the beliefs, hardships and almost hopeless plight of the people as well as any book on sub saharan africa i have read. His descriptions of the wildlife and vegetation are alive and detailed as well but for me it is the people that make this stand apart in travel literature.

Very funny, meticulously detailed account of tropical travel, 03 Sep 2001
Having travelling in tropical rainforest myself, I could identify with some of the trials and tribulations encountered in this book. It is one of the few books I have ever read which I began again as soon as I had completed it. Redmond's ability to recall events in devastatingly amusing detail will compel me to read anything else he publishes.

one of the few books to stick in the memory...., 26 Apr 2000
Compulsive readers, as I have found to my own cost,while being immensely satisfied, educated and entertained by the book they have just read, often remember little of it even after a few months. People like myself, with a system - namely keeping subject matter varied, and never visiting similar ground too frequently - simply forget the finer points, the pearls of wisdom, and the sheer style and skill of the writing. It is now perhaps two years since I read Congo Journey, and it is perhaps the only book that I can remember and still admire after that time. In brief, the elements that make up classic travel writing - the journey itself, the characters and the observations along the way - are all dealt with with such skill, sensitivity and enjoyment, that it is hard not to be sucked into this journey, and the Congo, which let's face it, few of us will ever experience. Travel writers can be arrogant, sarcastic and boorish types. Or they can produce work like this. A rare treat, for anyone with the desire to read - and become involved and immersed in, a book of this type. Brilliant.

puker factor for the ordinary man, 08 Jan 2009
This is a travel book extraordinaire,
As a person who travels alone on business abroad I could understand fully the fear factor of being a strange face in a dodgy place

The writer looks to have prepared well over 3 years to pull off a fantastic read


A Shocking Insight, 23 Nov 2008
Quite simply I gave this book top marks because it gave such a clear and shocking insight into the DR Congo. Before reading this book I had not been aware of how depraved and destroyed this country is and has continued to be for so long. Whilst outside countries continue to pillage this wonderful country it will remain one of the most saddest stories of world history. The fact that most of the wildlife has now been destroyed across this country gives a good indication of how desperate the people's lives have become. Thank you Tim. Good luck people of DR Congo.

An easy to read travelogue, but nothing more., 16 Nov 2008
One has to admit that Tim Butcher's journey through the war torn DRC is an amazing exploit, albeit more than slightly foolish! The same cannot be said about the book. It's an easy to read travel story which is decent entertainment on a long haul flight, but I cannot understand the purpose of the book. Partly a travel narrative and partly a historic recount of Stanley's voyage through the Congo, it fails to achieve depth in both. It is also a denunciation of Congo's colonial masters, their Congolese successors and Congo's neighbours who play a role in the East-Congo conflict. It is quite repetitive: if you didn't know that Kinshasa used to be called Leopoldville and Kisangani is the contemporary name of Stanleyville, you will never forget after reading this book. A disappointment given the grandeur of the trip itself.

Feel the heat and start sweating, 06 Nov 2008
Simply a great travel book. Tim somehow manages to convey the sticky, claustrophobic atmosphere and undertones of malice and danger he experienced. We feel his discomfort, his pain, his fear, his hunger, his loss of hope for the land he travelled through. But he also introduces us to some ordinary or rather extraordinary human beings who helped him in his journey. They demonstrate real courage and determination in simply surviving without losing dignity. He doesn't rose tint his environment and vividly portrays the cruel nature of those with power in DRC. This book says a lot more about humanity than just about a journey. If you are interested in Africa then read this book.

Fascinating and insightful, 24 Sep 2008
Full of insight into the Congo, its history and relationships with its neighbours. The author's personal story makes it a good read, thanks to his detemination, sensitivity and the hardship he endures. The information he includes gives it a valuable educational quality. At the end I was filled with frustation, a sense of futility verging on anger. Colonisation has left scars and horror everywhere. It is understandable that the Congo may want to forget all that it was as a Belgian colony. But what is in its place?
Reminiscent of the potential and beauties of Africa and its people, there is a seeming disabilty for the Congo to rise above its past and take control of its future. The author clearly makes the point that in other parts of the world, this has happened successfully.
If you want to look inside the Congo (Africa?), and try to understand its issues this is 'must read'. But be prepared to wrestle with these issues, which the author so brilliantly highlights, for a long time afterwards.


Another masterpiece, 28 Oct 2005
An even better work than 'Bad Wisdom'. Drummond and Manning's contrasting writing styles compliment each other perfectly, with the former's sulky, spare, thoughtful and engaging and acting as a necessary ballast to Manning's powerful, electric and depraved fantasies.

Both are brilliant for very different reasons. As with Bad Wisdom, Manning's constant desire to shock does get a touch tedious and predictable towards the end, whilst Drummond suffers from a lack of confidence (he confesses that he thinks his account of their trip to Europe probably needed editing down - but I thought it was amongst his best stuff). But those are quibbles. This is another astonishing book.

Here's to part three...

Not the literary superstars they think they are, 19 Oct 2005
This book is much weaker than the first volume in this 'real-life adventure series', "Bad Wisdom". This book lacks the sense of fun in the first, and yet it also lacks in terms of philosophical impact.

It also lacks editorial control- Drummond seems incapable of writing anything except dates, times and dialogue, and Manning seems only capable of writing about twisted sex, which had novelty shock value on the first book, but is mostly worthless here. Drummond and Manning regularly question the quality and worth of each other's writing within the text, and far too often Drummond crosses that line into amateurism by writing about writer's block.

The adventure up the Congo that they actually took, which forms the basis of this book, would have been a goldmine for any decent travel writer and could have been a classic in the making- yet in the hands of Drummond and Manning you're left with reams of self-referential nothingness and a wish that somebody else was there to tell you insightfully what really happened.

Both writers seem convinced that because they once produced rock records, they have a fanbase of unquestionning product-buyers that will lap up every word. At times they seem determined to stretch that loyalty to the limit by producing 400 pages of awkward, uninspiring, worthless prose.

It's not without its funny moments but unless you decided that "Bad Wisdom" is a work of literary genius, don't bother.

Save Literally Our Soles, 02 Sep 2005
Another work of genius from Drummond & Manning. Keenly awaited follow up to "Bad Wisdom", the self declared Zen Masters retread the journey from Conrad's Heart of Darkness in an attempt to reclaim their misplaced souls.

As with the previous book, the narrative alternates between Bill's introspective self loathing & Z's more lavish (disturbingly pornographic) passages. In fact there seems to be a lot less of Bill, and a hell of a lot more Z.

If constant references to "bumming" aren't your thing, then it may be best to avoid. If on the other hand, you found the Marquis de Sade a little tame, then this should be your next purchase.

Constantly amusing, extremely well written & very eloquent. I'd hesitate to say educational, but why not. A true journey to the heart of all darkness.

Fantastic, obviously, and well worth the wait, 28 Aug 2005
This long, long, LONG-awaited follow-up to the justifiably legendary (at least 'round my way it is) "Bad Wisdom" is finally with us, twice the size of its predecessor and groaning with subversive delights. I would never use the word 'subversive' lightly, but Messers Drummond and Manning live and breathe it.
This time around they're off to Africa, former Zaire to be precise, on an insanely dangerous mission to track down the notorious President Mobutu on the grounds that he is the closest Earthly equivalent to Satan himself and can perhaps be wheedled with or conned into giving Bill and Z their souls back - they apparantly sold theirs way back in their KLF/Zodiac Mindwarp days. Bill intends to use a Punch and Judy show for this purpose. Don't ask.
One might think that with the very real horrors of everyday life in Africa, yet another volume full of Z's psychosexual phantasies would be not only tiresome but irrelevant, made a nonsense of by the brutal surroundings. Not a bit of it. Scarcely believably, Manning has outdone even himself here, the hallucinatory horrorshow and sub-De Sade misogyny making the collected lives and times of Patrick Bateman, Klaus Kinski and "Bad Wisdom"'s more outrageous excesses seem almost tame. Yes, really. Even when he calms down a little, he remains possessed of a wonderfully acrid turn of phrase, not to mention an almost schizophrenic ability to connect unrelated idioms. Bits alluding to "Naked Lunch" and "Moby Dick" slide in and out of his narratives. Aleister Crowley, Baudelaire and the revolting Arab slave trader Tippu Tipp make cameo appearences. His account of a bad trip on ibogaine will raise the hairs on the back of your neck - Daniel Pinchbeck's account in "Breaking Open The Head" made the drug seem comparitively benign. The likes of Steven Wells and Stewart Home couldn't hold the minutest candle to the deranged genius of Manning.
If Manning is deranged, then Drummond is downright disturbed. As always he has a pathological inability to explain why he does what he does - he skirts round the edges but has no real reason other than that he feels it is right. (Even Manning wouldn't burn a million quid, for instance...). Needless to say, the African trip is his idea. Losing every squabble with the gobby Manning, he instead worries about his health (unsurprising in the circumstances) and broods with unfathomable seriousness on Presbyterianism, demonology, Punch and Judy, racism, etc.
This is, I hardly need say, a troubling book. Racism and homophobia are universally smeared throughout its pages, although Manning seems titillated as much as repulsed by it and Drummond at least attempts to make excuses. Crap excuses, naturally. At least they're being honest. "The Wild Highway" is valuable precisely because it is a genuine ride into the darkest corners of the psychic landscape, places where all kinds of terrible things dwell. You know, the kind of things we all think, but don't have the bottle to say, or even the grace to admit to ourselves.
I predict the third and final volume in this projected trilogy may never appear - their final quest is to go to the moon. You heard me.

puker factor for the ordinary man, 08 Jan 2009
This is a travel book extraordinaire,
As a person who travels alone on business abroad I could understand fully the fear factor of being a strange face in a dodgy place

The writer looks to have prepared well over 3 years to pull off a fantastic read


A Shocking Insight, 23 Nov 2008
Quite simply I gave this book top marks because it gave such a clear and shocking insight into the DR Congo. Before reading this book I had not been aware of how depraved and destroyed this country is and has continued to be for so long. Whilst outside countries continue to pillage this wonderful country it will remain one of the most saddest stories of world history. The fact that most of the wildlife has now been destroyed across this country gives a good indication of how desperate the people's lives have become. Thank you Tim. Good luck people of DR Congo.

An easy to read travelogue, but nothing more., 16 Nov 2008
One has to admit that Tim Butcher's journey through the war torn DRC is an amazing exploit, albeit more than slightly foolish! The same cannot be said about the book. It's an easy to read travel story which is decent entertainment on a long haul flight, but I cannot understand the purpose of the book. Partly a travel narrative and partly a historic recount of Stanley's voyage through the Congo, it fails to achieve depth in both. It is also a denunciation of Congo's colonial masters, their Congolese successors and Congo's neighbours who play a role in the East-Congo conflict. It is quite repetitive: if you didn't know that Kinshasa used to be called Leopoldville and Kisangani is the contemporary name of Stanleyville, you will never forget after reading this book. A disappointment given the grandeur of the trip itself.

Feel the heat and start sweating, 06 Nov 2008
Simply a great travel book. Tim somehow manages to convey the sticky, claustrophobic atmosphere and undertones of malice and danger he experienced. We feel his discomfort, his pain, his fear, his hunger, his loss of hope for the land he travelled through. But he also introduces us to some ordinary or rather extraordinary human beings who helped him in his journey. They demonstrate real courage and determination in simply surviving without losing dignity. He doesn't rose tint his environment and vividly portrays the cruel nature of those with power in DRC. This book says a lot more about humanity than just about a journey. If you are interested in Africa then read this book.

Fascinating and insightful, 24 Sep 2008
Full of insight into the Congo, its history and relationships with its neighbours. The author's personal story makes it a good read, thanks to his detemination, sensitivity and the hardship he endures. The information he includes gives it a valuable educational quality. At the end I was filled with frustation, a sense of futility verging on anger. Colonisation has left scars and horror everywhere. It is understandable that the Congo may want to forget all that it was as a Belgian colony. But what is in its place?
Reminiscent of the potential and beauties of Africa and its people, there is a seeming disabilty for the Congo to rise above its past and take control of its future. The author clearly makes the point that in other parts of the world, this has happened successfully.
If you want to look inside the Congo (Africa?), and try to understand its issues this is 'must read'. But be prepared to wrestle with these issues, which the author so brilliantly highlights, for a long time afterwards.


NOT a comedy!, 23 Apr 2008
One of the most terrifying, depressing journeys into the heart of darkness. That there are human beings on earth that still behave like some of the congolese in this book is frankly ming-boggling. Very relevant in light of the current unstable situation in this part of the world. O'Hanlan is a brilliant writer and a noble man, but this book is not the one to start a stampede of mass tourism to central africa!!

a good read spoiled., 31 Dec 2007
Almost a great read, however far! to! many! annoying! punctuation mistakes-glibly passes over death and illness of native africans whist focussing on the nipple size of a picked up doxy. Buy and read "Dark Star Safari" by Paul Theroux instead. A much more perceptive commentary with more humanity.

Vivid , 18 Sep 2006
Many of the reviews on this book's cover talk of Redmond O'Hanlon as the funniest travel writer. This book then comes as a real surprise. This is not comedy but a vivid, at times disturbing and moving account of life down the Congo river. O Hanlon captures the beliefs, hardships and almost hopeless plight of the people as well as any book on sub saharan africa i have read. His descriptions of the wildlife and vegetation are alive and detailed as well but for me it is the people that make this stand apart in travel literature.

Very funny, meticulously detailed account of tropical travel, 03 Sep 2001
Having travelling in tropical rainforest myself, I could identify with some of the trials and tribulations encountered in this book. It is one of the few books I have ever read which I began again as soon as I had completed it. Redmond's ability to recall events in devastatingly amusing detail will compel me to read anything else he publishes.

one of the few books to stick in the memory...., 26 Apr 2000
Compulsive readers, as I have found to my own cost,while being immensely satisfied, educated and entertained by the book they have just read, often remember little of it even after a few months. People like myself, with a system - namely keeping subject matter varied, and never visiting similar ground too frequently - simply forget the finer points, the pearls of wisdom, and the sheer style and skill of the writing. It is now perhaps two years since I read Congo Journey, and it is perhaps the only book that I can remember and still admire after that time. In brief, the elements that make up classic travel writing - the journey itself, the characters and the observations along the way - are all dealt with with such skill, sensitivity and enjoyment, that it is hard not to be sucked into this journey, and the Congo, which let's face it, few of us will ever experience. Travel writers can be arrogant, sarcastic and boorish types. Or they can produce work like this. A rare treat, for anyone with the desire to read - and become involved and immersed in, a book of this type. Brilliant.

puker factor for the ordinary man, 08 Jan 2009
This is a travel book extraordinaire,
As a person who travels alone on business abroad I could understand fully the fear factor of being a strange face in a dodgy place

The writer looks to have prepared well over 3 years to pull off a fantastic read


A Shocking Insight, 23 Nov 2008
Quite simply I gave this book top marks because it gave such a clear and shocking insight into the DR Congo. Before reading this book I had not been aware of how depraved and destroyed this country is and has continued to be for so long. Whilst outside countries continue to pillage this wonderful country it will remain one of the most saddest stories of world history. The fact that most of the wildlife has now been destroyed across this country gives a good indication of how desperate the people's lives have become. Thank you Tim. Good luck people of DR Congo.

An easy to read travelogue, but nothing more., 16 Nov 2008
One has to admit that Tim Butcher's journey through the war torn DRC is an amazing exploit, albeit more than slightly foolish! The same cannot be said about the book. It's an easy to read travel story which is decent entertainment on a long haul flight, but I cannot understand the purpose of the book. Partly a travel narrative and partly a historic recount of Stanley's voyage through the Congo, it fails to achieve depth in both. It is also a denunciation of Congo's colonial masters, their Congolese successors and Congo's neighbours who play a role in the East-Congo conflict. It is quite repetitive: if you didn't know that Kinshasa used to be called Leopoldville and Kisangani is the contemporary name of Stanleyville, you will never forget after reading this book. A disappointment given the grandeur of the trip itself.

Feel the heat and start sweating, 06 Nov 2008
Simply a great travel book. Tim somehow manages to convey the sticky, claustrophobic atmosphere and undertones of malice and danger he experienced. We feel his discomfort, his pain, his fear, his hunger, his loss of hope for the land he travelled through. But he also introduces us to some ordinary or rather extraordinary human beings who helped him in his journey. They demonstrate real courage and determination in simply surviving without losing dignity. He doesn't rose tint his environment and vividly portrays the cruel nature of those with power in DRC. This book says a lot more about humanity than just about a journey. If you are interested in Africa then read this book.

Fascinating and insightful, 24 Sep 2008
Full of insight into the Congo, its history and relationships with its neighbours. The author's personal story makes it a good read, thanks to his detemination, sensitivity and the hardship he endures. The information he includes gives it a valuable educational quality. At the end I was filled with frustation, a sense of futility verging on anger. Colonisation has left scars and horror everywhere. It is understandable that the Congo may want to forget all that it was as a Belgian colony. But what is in its place?
Reminiscent of the potential and beauties of Africa and its people, there is a seeming disabilty for the Congo to rise above its past and take control of its future. The author clearly makes the point that in other parts of the world, this has happened successfully.
If you want to look inside the Congo (Africa?), and try to understand its issues this is 'must read'. But be prepared to wrestle with these issues, which the author so brilliantly highlights, for a long time afterwards.


Another masterpiece, 28 Oct 2005
An even better work than 'Bad Wisdom'. Drummond and Manning's contrasting writing styles compliment each other perfectly, with the former's sulky, spare, thoughtful and engaging and acting as a necessary ballast to Manning's powerful, electric and depraved fantasies.

Both are brilliant for very different reasons. As with Bad Wisdom, Manning's constant desire to shock does get a touch tedious and predictable towards the end, whilst Drummond suffers from a lack of confidence (he confesses that he thinks his account of their trip to Europe probably needed editing down - but I thought it was amongst his best stuff). But those are quibbles. This is another astonishing book.

Here's to part three...

Not the literary superstars they think they are, 19 Oct 2005
This book is much weaker than the first volume in this 'real-life adventure series', "Bad Wisdom". This book lacks the sense of fun in the first, and yet it also lacks in terms of philosophical impact.

It also lacks editorial control- Drummond seems incapable of writing anything except dates, times and dialogue, and Manning seems only capable of writing about twisted sex, which had novelty shock value on the first book, but is mostly worthless here. Drummond and Manning regularly question the quality and worth of each other's writing within the text, and far too often Drummond crosses that line into amateurism by writing about writer's block.

The adventure up the Congo that they actually took, which forms the basis of this book, would have been a goldmine for any decent travel writer and could have been a classic in the making- yet in the hands of Drummond and Manning you're left with reams of self-referential nothingness and a wish that somebody else was there to tell you insightfully what really happened.

Both writers seem convinced that because they once produced rock records, they have a fanbase of unquestionning product-buyers that will lap up every word. At times they seem determined to stretch that loyalty to the limit by producing 400 pages of awkward, uninspiring, worthless prose.

It's not without its funny moments but unless you decided that "Bad Wisdom" is a work of literary genius, don't bother.

Save Literally Our Soles, 02 Sep 2005
Another work of genius from Drummond & Manning. Keenly awaited follow up to "Bad Wisdom", the self declared Zen Masters retread the journey from Conrad's Heart of Darkness in an attempt to reclaim their misplaced souls.

As with the previous book, the narrative alternates between Bill's introspective self loathing & Z's more lavish (disturbingly pornographic) passages. In fact there seems to be a lot less of Bill, and a hell of a lot more Z.

If constant references to "bumming" aren't your thing, then it may be best to avoid. If on the other hand, you found the Marquis de Sade a little tame, then this should be your next purchase.

Constantly amusing, extremely well written & very eloquent. I'd hesitate to say educational, but why not. A true journey to the heart of all darkness.

Fantastic, obviously, and well worth the wait, 28 Aug 2005
This long, long, LONG-awaited follow-up to the justifiably legendary (at least 'round my way it is) "Bad Wisdom" is finally with us, twice the size of its predecessor and groaning with subversive delights. I would never use the word 'subversive' lightly, but Messers Drummond and Manning live and breathe it.
This time around they're off to Africa, former Zaire to be precise, on an insanely dangerous mission to track down the notorious President Mobutu on the grounds that he is the closest Earthly equivalent to Satan himself and can perhaps be wheedled with or conned into giving Bill and Z their souls back - they apparantly sold theirs way back in their KLF/Zodiac Mindwarp days. Bill intends to use a Punch and Judy show for this purpose. Don't ask.
One might think that with the very real horrors of everyday life in Africa, yet another volume full of Z's psychosexual phantasies would be not only tiresome but irrelevant, made a nonsense of by the brutal surroundings. Not a bit of it. Scarcely believably, Manning has outdone even himself here, the hallucinatory horrorshow and sub-De Sade misogyny making the collected lives and times of Patrick Bateman, Klaus Kinski and "Bad Wisdom"'s more outrageous excesses seem almost tame. Yes, really. Even when he calms down a little, he remains possessed of a wonderfully acrid turn of phrase, not to mention an almost schizophrenic ability to connect unrelated idioms. Bits alluding to "Naked Lunch" and "Moby Dick" slide in and out of his narratives. Aleister Crowley, Baudelaire and the revolting Arab slave trader Tippu Tipp make cameo appearences. His account of a bad trip on ibogaine will raise the hairs on the back of your neck - Daniel Pinchbeck's account in "Breaking Open The Head" made the drug seem comparitively benign. The likes of Steven Wells and Stewart Home couldn't hold the minutest candle to the deranged genius of Manning.
If Manning is deranged, then Drummond is downright disturbed. As always he has a pathological inability to explain why he does what he does - he skirts round the edges but has no real reason other than that he feels it is right. (Even Manning wouldn't burn a million quid, for instance...). Needless to say, the African trip is his idea. Losing every squabble with the gobby Manning, he instead worries about his health (unsurprising in the circumstances) and broods with unfathomable seriousness on Presbyterianism, demonology, Punch and Judy, racism, etc.
This is, I hardly need say, a troubling book. Racism and homophobia are universally smeared throughout its pages, although Manning seems titillated as much as repulsed by it and Drummond at least attempts to make excuses. Crap excuses, naturally. At least they're being honest. "The Wild Highway" is valuable precisely because it is a genuine ride into the darkest corners of the psychic landscape, places where all kinds of terrible things dwell. You know, the kind of things we all think, but don't have the bottle to say, or even the grace to admit to ourselves.
I predict the third and final volume in this projected trilogy may never appear - their final quest is to go to the moon. You heard me.

Sloppily edited, inaccurate information and riddled with errors, 17 Oct 2008
Note: This review refers to the Katanga, Central Congo and Kinshasa chapters and the chapters with general information on the country, as I have visited only the aforementioned places.

Two details from the Kikwit and the Ilebo chapter make me wonder how carefully the information in this guide book has been researched. The guide book says that there are a Hotel A and a Hotel BCD in Kikwit. In reality there are no hotels with these generic names in Kikwit, and it is very unlikely that they ever existed as no one in Kikwit had ever heard of the Hotel A and the Hotel BCD. But what one can find on the web is a travel map of Kikwit, drawn and published by a traveller who has been in Kikwit in 2007 (google for steve is lost). On this map this traveller has labeled what is the Hotel Walir with A and a row of hotels (flophouses in reality) with B, C, D.

Another example, from the Ilebo chapter. Again, on the travel map one finds the Hotel da Palma, and the prices for the different room types are listed - Ordinary, Suite and Apt. What one can find in the Bradt guide book are a Hotel Palma, a Hotel Apt, a Hotel Suite, and a Hotel Grainary (which is probably corresponding to the ordinary on the travel map - the handwriting on the travel map is not clearly legible.). Of course, in reality no Hotel Apt, Hotel Suite and Hotel Grainary exist in Ilebo and it is very unlikely that they ever did as the guys of the DGM (Direction general de migration) had not heard of these places (and they are the ones who should know even if the most obscure place in Ilebo).

Apart from these embarrassing coincidences, much of the information is inaccurate, the book is riddled with errors, and the maps are only approximate (especially true for the Lubumbashi and Likasi map).

Even taking into account that there are no other guide books on the Congos and that writing a guide book on these two countries is not an easy task, overall this guide book can hardly be recommended. The general information on history, nature and culture is decent (though not much information on demographics and the arts), but there is nothing one cannot find on Wikipedia. There is not much practical information, and what practical information one can find is in large parts inaccurate (though the Kinshasa chapter is somewhat better than the Katanga and the Central Congo chapters, albeit at the price of being a bit thin and incomplete). Of course information can change, but some things never change such as the street layout or the location of historical buildings. Given that in many instances the Bradt Congo does not even get these things right makes me doubt that changing circumstances are the reason for the poor quality of the practical information in this guide book. In fact, the fifteen year old Lonely Planet Central Africa was sometimes a more reliable guide than the two month old (at the time of my travel) Bradt Congo.

Congo (Country Guides), 06 Apr 2008
This is a fabulous book. It is very detailed and helpful and explains the state of the counrty today. This is the best book on the Congo ever written and it's about time it had been.

puker factor for the ordinary man, 08 Jan 2009
This is a travel book extraordinaire,
As a person who travels alone on business abroad I could understand fully the fear factor of being a strange face in a dodgy place

The writer looks to have prepared well over 3 years to pull off a fantastic read


A Shocking Insight, 23 Nov 2008
Quite simply I gave this book top marks because it gave such a clear and shocking insight into the DR Congo. Before reading this book I had not been aware of how depraved and destroyed this country is and has continued to be for so long. Whilst outside countries continue to pillage this wonderful country it will remain one of the most saddest stories of world history. The fact that most of the wildlife has now been destroyed across this country gives a good indication of how desperate the people's lives have become. Thank you Tim. Good luck people of DR Congo.

An easy to read travelogue, but nothing more., 16 Nov 2008
One has to admit that Tim Butcher's journey through the war torn DRC is an amazing exploit, albeit more than slightly foolish! The same cannot be said about the book. It's an easy to read travel story which is decent entertainment on a long haul flight, but I cannot understand the purpose of the book. Partly a travel narrative and partly a historic recount of Stanley's voyage through the Congo, it fails to achieve depth in both. It is also a denunciation of Congo's colonial masters, their Congolese successors and Congo's neighbours who play a role in the East-Congo conflict. It is quite repetitive: if you didn't know that Kinshasa used to be called Leopoldville and Kisangani is the contemporary name of Stanleyville, you will never forget after reading this book. A disappointment given the grandeur of the trip itself.

Feel the heat and start sweating, 06 Nov 2008
Simply a great travel book. Tim somehow manages to convey the sticky, claustrophobic atmosphere and undertones of malice and danger he experienced. We feel his discomfort, his pain, his fear, his hunger, his loss of hope for the land he travelled through. But he also introduces us to some ordinary or rather extraordinary human beings who helped him in his journey. They demonstrate real courage and determination in simply surviving without losing dignity. He doesn't rose tint his environment and vividly portrays the cruel nature of those with power in DRC. This book says a lot more about humanity than just about a journey. If you are interested in Africa then read this book.

Fascinating and insightful, 24 Sep 2008
Full of insight into the Congo, its history and relationships with its neighbours. The author's personal story makes it a good read, thanks to his detemination, sensitivity and the hardship he endures. The information he includes gives it a valuable educational quality. At the end I was filled with frustation, a sense of futility verging on anger. Colonisation has left scars and horror everywhere. It is understandable that the Congo may want to forget all that it was as a Belgian colony. But what is in its place?
Reminiscent of the potential and beauties of Africa and its people, there is a seeming disabilty for the Congo to rise above its past and take control of its future. The author clearly makes the point that in other parts of the world, this has happened successfully.
If you want to look inside the Congo (Africa?), and try to understand its issues this is 'must read'. But be prepared to wrestle with these issues, which the author so brilliantly highlights, for a long time afterwards.


NOT a comedy!, 23 Apr 2008
One of the most terrifying, depressing journeys into the heart of darkness. That there are human beings on earth that still behave like some of the congolese in this book is frankly ming-boggling. Very relevant in light of the current unstable situation in this part of the world. O'Hanlan is a brilliant writer and a noble man, but this book is not the one to start a stampede of mass tourism to central africa!!

a good read spoiled., 31 Dec 2007
Almost a great read, however far! to! many! annoying! punctuation mistakes-glibly passes over death and illness of native africans whist focussing on the nipple size of a picked up doxy. Buy and read "Dark Star Safari" by Paul Theroux instead. A much more perceptive commentary with more humanity.

Vivid , 18 Sep 2006
Many of the reviews on this book's cover talk of Redmond O'Hanlon as the funniest travel writer. This book then comes as a real surprise. This is not comedy but a vivid, at times disturbing and moving account of life down the Congo river. O Hanlon captures the beliefs, hardships and almost hopeless plight of the people as well as any book on sub saharan africa i have read. His descriptions of the wildlife and vegetation are alive and detailed as well but for me it is the people that make this stand apart in travel literature.

Very funny, meticulously detailed account of tropical travel, 03 Sep 2001
Having travelling in tropical rainforest myself, I could identify with some of the trials and tribulations encountered in this book. It is one of the few books I have ever read which I began again as soon as I had completed it. Redmond's ability to recall events in devastatingly amusing detail will compel me to read anything else he publishes.

one of the few books to stick in the memory...., 26 Apr 2000
Compulsive readers, as I have found to my own cost,while being immensely satisfied, educated and entertained by the book they have just read, often remember little of it even after a few months. People like myself, with a system - namely keeping subject matter varied, and never visiting similar ground too frequently - simply forget the finer points, the pearls of wisdom, and the sheer style and skill of the writing. It is now perhaps two years since I read Congo Journey, and it is perhaps the only book that I can remember and still admire after that time. In brief, the elements that make up classic travel writing - the journey itself, the characters and the observations along the way - are all dealt with with such skill, sensitivity and enjoyment, that it is hard not to be sucked into this journey, and the Congo, which let's face it, few of us will ever experience. Travel writers can be arrogant, sarcastic and boorish types. Or they can produce work like this. A rare treat, for anyone with the desire to read - and become involved and immersed in, a book of this type. Brilliant.

puker factor for the ordinary man, 08 Jan 2009
This is a travel book extraordinaire,
As a person who travels alone on business abroad I could understand fully the fear factor of being a strange face in a dodgy place

The writer looks to have prepared well over 3 years to pull off a fantastic read


A Shocking Insight, 23 Nov 2008
Quite simply I gave this book top marks because it gave such a clear and shocking insight into the DR Congo. Before reading this book I had not been aware of how depraved and destroyed this country is and has continued to be for so long. Whilst outside countries continue to pillage this wonderful country it will remain one of the most saddest stories of world history. The fact that most of the wildlife has now been destroyed across this country gives a good indication of how desperate the people's lives have become. Thank you Tim. Good luck people of DR Congo.

An easy to read travelogue, but nothing more., 16 Nov 2008
One has to admit that Tim Butcher's journey through the war torn DRC is an amazing exploit, albeit more than slightly foolish! The same cannot be said about the book. It's an easy to read travel story which is decent entertainment on a long haul flight, but I cannot understand the purpose of the book. Partly a travel narrative and partly a historic recount of Stanley's voyage through the Congo, it fails to achieve depth in both. It is also a denunciation of Congo's colonial masters, their Congolese successors and Congo's neighbours who play a role in the East-Congo conflict. It is quite repetitive: if you didn't know that Kinshasa used to be called Leopoldville and Kisangani is the contemporary name of Stanleyville, you will never forget after reading this book. A disappointment given the grandeur of the trip itself.

Feel the heat and start sweating, 06 Nov 2008
Simply a great travel book. Tim somehow manages to convey the sticky, claustrophobic atmosphere and undertones of malice and danger he experienced. We feel his discomfort, his pain, his fear, his hunger, his loss of hope for the land he travelled through. But he also introduces us to some ordinary or rather extraordinary human beings who helped him in his journey. They demonstrate real courage and determination in simply surviving without losing dignity. He doesn't rose tint his environment and vividly portrays the cruel nature of those with power in DRC. This book says a lot more about humanity than just about a journey. If you are interested in Africa then read this book.

Fascinating and insightful, 24 Sep 2008
Full of insight into the Congo, its history and relationships with its neighbours. The author's personal story makes it a good read, thanks to his detemination, sensitivity and the hardship he endures. The information he includes gives it a valuable educational quality. At the end I was filled with frustation, a sense of futility verging on anger. Colonisation has left scars and horror everywhere. It is understandable that the Congo may want to forget all that it was as a Belgian colony. But what is in its place?
Reminiscent of the potential and beauties of Africa and its people, there is a seeming disabilty for the Congo to rise above its past and take control of its future. The author clearly makes the point that in other parts of the world, this has happened successfully.
If you want to look inside the Congo (Africa?), and try to understand its issues this is 'must read'. But be prepared to wrestle with these issues, which the author so brilliantly highlights, for a long time afterwards.


Another masterpiece, 28 Oct 2005
An even better work than 'Bad Wisdom'. Drummond and Manning's contrasting writing styles compliment each other perfectly, with the former's sulky, spare, thoughtful and engaging and acting as a necessary ballast to Manning's powerful, electric and depraved fantasies.

Both are brilliant for very different reasons. As with Bad Wisdom, Manning's constant desire to shock does get a touch tedious and predictable towards the end, whilst Drummond suffers from a lack of confidence (he confesses that he thinks his account of their trip to Europe probably needed editing down - but I thought it was amongst his best stuff). But those are quibbles. This is another astonishing book.

Here's to part three...

Not the literary superstars they think they are, 19 Oct 2005
This book is much weaker than the first volume in this 'real-life adventure series', "Bad Wisdom". This book lacks the sense of fun in the first, and yet it also lacks in terms of philosophical impact.

It also lacks editorial control- Drummond seems incapable of writing anything except dates, times and dialogue, and Manning seems only capable of writing about twisted sex, which had novelty shock value on the first book, but is mostly worthless here. Drummond and Manning regularly question the quality and worth of each other's writing within the text, and far too often Drummond crosses that line into amateurism by writing about writer's block.

The adventure up the Congo that they actually took, which forms the basis of this book, would have been a goldmine for any decent travel writer and could have been a classic in the making- yet in the hands of Drummond and Manning you're left with reams of self-referential nothingness and a wish that somebody else was there to tell you insightfully what really happened.

Both writers seem convinced that because they once produced rock records, they have a fanbase of unquestionning product-buyers that will lap up every word. At times they seem determined to stretch that loyalty to the limit by producing 400 pages of awkward, uninspiring, worthless prose.

It's not without its funny moments but unless you decided that "Bad Wisdom" is a work of literary genius, don't bother.

Save Literally Our Soles, 02 Sep 2005
Another work of genius from Drummond & Manning. Keenly awaited follow up to "Bad Wisdom", the self declared Zen Masters retread the journey from Conrad's Heart of Darkness in an attempt to reclaim their misplaced souls.

As with the previous book, the narrative alternates between Bill's introspective self loathing & Z's more lavish (disturbingly pornographic) passages. In fact there seems to be a lot less of Bill, and a hell of a lot more Z.

If constant references to "bumming" aren't your thing, then it may be best to avoid. If on the other hand, you found the Marquis de Sade a little tame, then this should be your next purchase.

Constantly amusing, extremely well written & very eloquent. I'd hesitate to say educational, but why not. A true journey to the heart of all darkness.

Fantastic, obviously, and well worth the wait, 28 Aug 2005
This long, long, LONG-awaited follow-up to the justifiably legendary (at least 'round my way it is) "Bad Wisdom" is finally with us, twice the size of its predecessor and groaning with subversive delights. I would never use the word 'subversive' lightly, but Messers Drummond and Manning live and breathe it.
This time around they're off to Africa, former Zaire to be precise, on an insanely dangerous mission to track down the notorious President Mobutu on the grounds that he is the closest Earthly equivalent to Satan himself and can perhaps be wheedled with or conned into giving Bill and Z their souls back - they apparantly sold theirs way back in their KLF/Zodiac Mindwarp days. Bill intends to use a Punch and Judy show for this purpose. Don't ask.
One might think that with the very real horrors of everyday life in Africa, yet another volume full of Z's psychosexual phantasies would be not only tiresome but irrelevant, made a nonsense of by the brutal surroundings. Not a bit of it. Scarcely believably, Manning has outdone even himself here, the hallucinatory horrorshow and sub-De Sade misogyny making the collected lives and times of Patrick Bateman, Klaus Kinski and "Bad Wisdom"'s more outrageous excesses seem almost tame. Yes, really. Even when he calms down a little, he remains possessed of a wonderfully acrid turn of phrase, not to mention an almost schizophrenic ability to connect unrelated idioms. Bits alluding to "Naked Lunch" and "Moby Dick" slide in and out of his narratives. Aleister Crowley, Baudelaire and the revolting Arab slave trader Tippu Tipp make cameo appearences. His account of a bad trip on ibogaine will raise the hairs on the back of your neck - Daniel Pinchbeck's account in "Breaking Open The Head" made the drug seem comparitively benign. The likes of Steven Wells and Stewart Home couldn't hold the minutest candle to the deranged genius of Manning.
If Manning is deranged, then Drummond is downright disturbed. As always he has a pathological inability to explain why he does what he does - he skirts round the edges but has no real reason other than that he feels it is right. (Even Manning wouldn't burn a million quid, for instance...). Needless to say, the African trip is his idea. Losing every squabble with the gobby Manning, he instead worries about his health (unsurprising in the circumstances) and broods with unfathomable seriousness on Presbyterianism, demonology, Punch and Judy, racism, etc.
This is, I hardly need say, a troubling book. Racism and homophobia are universally smeared throughout its pages, although Manning seems titillated as much as repulsed by it and Drummond at least attempts to make excuses. Crap excuses, naturally. At least they're being honest. "The Wild Highway" is valuable precisely because it is a genuine ride into the darkest corners of the psychic landscape, places where all kinds of terrible things dwell. You know, the kind of things we all think, but don't have the bottle to say, or even the grace to admit to ourselves.
I predict the third and final volume in this projected trilogy may never appear - their final quest is to go to the moon. You heard me.

Sloppily edited, inaccurate information and riddled with errors, 17 Oct 2008
Note: This review refers to the Katanga, Central Congo and Kinshasa chapters and the chapters with general information on the country, as I have visited only the aforementioned places.

Two details from the Kikwit and the Ilebo chapter make me wonder how carefully the information in this guide book has been researched. The guide book says that there are a Hotel A and a Hotel BCD in Kikwit. In reality there are no hotels with these generic names in Kikwit, and it is very unlikely that they ever existed as no one in Kikwit had ever heard of the Hotel A and the Hotel BCD. But what one can find on the web is a travel map of Kikwit, drawn and published by a traveller who has been in Kikwit in 2007 (google for steve is lost). On this map this traveller has labeled what is the Hotel Walir with A and a row of hotels (flophouses in reality) with B, C, D.

Another example, from the Ilebo chapter. Again, on the travel map one finds the Hotel da Palma, and the prices for the different room types are listed - Ordinary, Suite and Apt. What one can find in the Bradt guide book are a Hotel Palma, a Hotel Apt, a Hotel Suite, and a Hotel Grainary (which is probably corresponding to the ordinary on the travel map - the handwriting on the travel map is not clearly legible.). Of course, in reality no Hotel Apt, Hotel Suite and Hotel Grainary exist in Ilebo and it is very unlikely that they ever did as the guys of the DGM (Direction general de migration) had not heard of these places (and they are the ones who should know even if the most obscure place in Ilebo).

Apart from these embarrassing coincidences, much of the information is inaccurate, the book is riddled with errors, and the maps are only approximate (especially true for the Lubumbashi and Likasi map).

Even taking into account that there are no other guide books on the Congos and that writing a guide book on these two countries is not an easy task, overall this guide book can hardly be recommended. The general information on history, nature and culture is decent (though not much information on demographics and the arts), but there is nothing one cannot find on Wikipedia. There is not much practical information, and what practical information one can find is in large parts inaccurate (though the Kinshasa chapter is somewhat better than the Katanga and the Central Congo chapters, albeit at the price of being a bit thin and incomplete). Of course information can change, but some things never change such as the street layout or the location of historical buildings. Given that in many instances the Bradt Congo does not even get these things right makes me doubt that changing circumstances are the reason for the poor quality of the practical information in this guide book. In fact, the fifteen year old Lonely Planet Central Africa was sometimes a more reliable guide than the two month old (at the time of my travel) Bradt Congo.

Congo (Country Guides), 06 Apr 2008
This is a fabulous book. It is very detailed and helpful and explains the state of the counrty today. This is the best book on the Congo ever written and it's about time it had been.

NOT a comedy!, 23 Apr 2008
One of the most terrifying, depressing journeys into the heart of darkness. That there are human beings on earth that still behave like some of the congolese in this book is frankly ming-boggling. Very relevant in light of the current unstable situation in this part of the world. O'Hanlan is a brilliant writer and a noble man, but this book is not the one to start a stampede of mass tourism to central africa!!

a good read spoiled., 31 Dec 2007
Almost a great read, however far! to! many! annoying! punctuation mistakes-glibly passes over death and illness of native africans whist focussing on the nipple size of a picked up doxy. Buy and read "Dark Star Safari" by Paul Theroux instead. A much more perceptive commentary with more humanity.

Vivid , 18 Sep 2006
Many of the reviews on this book's cover talk of Redmond O'Hanlon as the funniest travel writer. This book then comes as a real surprise. This is not comedy but a vivid, at times disturbing and moving account of life down the Congo river. O Hanlon captures the beliefs, hardships and almost hopeless plight of the people as well as any book on sub saharan africa i have read. His descriptions of the wildlife and vegetation are alive and detailed as well but for me it is the people that make this stand apart in travel literature.

Very funny, meticulously detailed account of tropical travel, 03 Sep 2001
Having travelling in tropical rainforest myself, I could identify with some of the trials and tribulations encountered in this book. It is one of the few books I have ever read which I began again as soon as I had completed it. Redmond's ability to recall events in devastatingly amusing detail will compel me to read anything else he publishes.

one of the few books to stick in the memory...., 26 Apr 2000
Compulsive readers, as I have found to my own cost,while being immensely satisfied, educated and entertained by the book they have just read, often remember little of it even after a few months. People like myself, with a system - namely keeping subject matter varied, and never visiting similar ground too frequently - simply forget the finer points, the pearls of wisdom, and the sheer style and skill of the writing. It is now perhaps two years since I read Congo Journey, and it is perhaps the only book that I can remember and still admire after that time. In brief, the elements that make up classic travel writing - the journey itself, the characters and the observations along the way - are all dealt with with such skill, sensitivity and enjoyment, that it is hard not to be sucked into this journey, and the Congo, which let's face it, few of us will ever experience. Travel writers can be arrogant, sarcastic and boorish types. Or they can produce work like this. A rare treat, for anyone with the desire to read - and become involved and immersed in, a book of this type. Brilliant.