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Blood River

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Blood River

By: Tim Butcher
Narrated by: Tim Butcher
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About this listen

 Shortlisted for the British Book Awards, Richard and Judy Best Read of the Year, 2008.
A Richard and Judy Book Club selection.

When Daily Telegraph correspondent Tim Butcher was sent to cover Africa in 2000, he quickly became obsessed with the idea of recreating H. M. Stanley's famous expedition - and travelling alone. Despite warnings that his plan was suicidal, Butcher set out for the Congo's eastern border with just a rucksack and a few thousand dollars hidden in his boots.

Making his way in an assortment of vessels including a motorbike and a dugout canoe, and helped along by a cast of characters from UN aid workers to a campaigning pygmy, he followed in the footsteps of the great Victorian adventurers. Butcher's journey was a remarkable feat, but the story of the Congo, is more remarkable still.

©2007 Tim Butcher (P)2008 W F Howes Ltd Suspense Thriller & Suspense Travel Writing & Commentary

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Critic reviews

A Richard and Judy Book Club selection.

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Firstly, this is my one opinion which may differ to others.
Listening to the authors adventure through the heart of the Congo was interesting and I was eager to keep reading. I had little knowledge of the Congo’s history before this and thus found it insightful and the Congo’s history saddening.

I enjoyed how easy it was to picture myself with the author and benefited from being able to search for the places visited and use Google Earth to see pictures of what was described in the book, such as the port of Kisangani.

I liked how we also learnt about parts of Stanley’s trip, hundreds of years before, through the Congo as the author passed similar places and experiences.

One improvement I would note though is that the chapter division via the app is not fully synced. I.e. sometimes the actual chapter starts in the centre of the chapters on the chapter selection list on the app.


Compelling and insightful

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enjoyed this book which is well paced and well narrated. It provides some keen insight into a country most will be unfamiliar with i suspect.

Good travel book

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I found this to be highly anecdotal. This felt like the majority of the book consisted of Congolese history and Congolese accounts of daily life from the people he had met. Despite being entertaining in part by the sheer feat of travelling along the Congo river, the same message is reiterated throughout - The Congo is the only place in the world where conditions are worse in the 21st century than the middle of the 20th

The premise is better than the story

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great story especially the overland sections to east and the pirogue adventure, gets quieter once the motorboat river journey starts. narrator is the author who comes across as a shy englishman

great African story

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a fascinating account but read quite fast (I slowed to 0.75 speed). good mix of culture, history and adventure.

Fascinating account

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I thought this book was brilliant,so well written and totally compulsive listening.The author told it how is is,and I felt it was one of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to.Also I looked up and read extensively about the Congo afterwards,it was as gripping as any thriller.
This is not normally the type of book/audiobook I would buy,but I was going on a long holiday and though it would pass some time on the beach.But how wrong was I.
I still think of the authors experiences and the people of the Congo and how good we get it here in the UK.
My older teenage children listened to parts of this book and found it brilliant and asked the question,why do people live like that in 2008? I hope the next generation will be able to change the world.

fantastic and addictive

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I have enjoyed listening to this book and Tims enthusiasum for the book is unquestionable. My only problem was the speed in which it was read, causing me to check if I had changed the reading speed in the settings, I hadn't!

An Enjoyable Book

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This is actually a great read for anyone wanting to understand Africa, and why it is what it is. I just wish the narrator would slow down and pause for breath. Sometimes he was talking SO fast that I actually missed what he said.

Great book but please slow down!

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Tim Butcher showed almost foolhardy bravery in taking this journey. I have travelled ( as a heavily armed soldier ) in neighbouring countries and my heart was in my mouth ,reading some of his exploits. A well written , well read book. The state of the Congo is dire and they need help. THIS is what we should be protesting about , how to save the lives of millions of innocent Africans. Tim Butcher has endured and risked his life in highlighting the problems.

Blood River - Crossing The Congo

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very interesting story even though already 14 years old. one thing I kept wondering about was what the purpose of the trip was! the book is a beautiful result and tells an important story, but somehow I felt the need for a purpose beyond that of solely following Stanley's trail.

the guy reads too fast... fascinating nevertheless

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