How de body? : one man's terrifying journey through an African war / Teun Voeten ; translated from the Dutch by Roz Vatter-Buck.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Voeten, Teun.

Standardized Title:

How de body? English

Language:

Dutch

English

Subjects (All):

Insurgency.

History.

Sierra Leone--History--Civil War, 1991-.

Sierra Leone.

Insurgency--Sierra Leone--History--20th century.

Sierra Leone--Social conditions--1961-.

Social conditions.

Physical Description:

ix, 308 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, map ; 22 cm

Edition:

First U.S. edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Thomas Dunne Books, 2002.

Summary:

In 1998, Acclaimed Photo Journalist Teun Voeten headed to Sierra Leone for what he thought would be a standard assignment on the child soldiers there. But the cease-fire ended just as he arrived, and the clash between the military junta and the West African peacekeeping troops forced him to hide in the bush from rebels who were intent on killing him. How de Body? ("How are you?" in Sierra Leone's creole English) is a dramatic account of the conflict that has been raging in the country for nearly a decade -- and how Voeten nearly became a casualty. Accessible and conversational, it's a look into the dangerous diamond trade that fuels the conflict, the legacy of war practices such as forced amputations, the tragic use of child soldiers, and more. The book is also a tribute to the people who never make the headlines: Eddie Smith, a BBC correspondent who eventually helps Voeten escape; Alfred Kanu, a school principal who risks his life to keep his students and teachers going amid the bullets and raids; and Padre Victor, who runs a safe haven for former child soldiers; among others. Featuring Voeten's stunning black-and-white photos from his multiple trips to the conflict area, How de Body? is a crucial testament to a relatively unknown tragedy.

Contents:

Part 1 Chronicle of a Failed Reportage: Sierra Leone, February/March 1998

1. At the Border 3

2. In Search of Child Soldiers 12

3. Welcome to Makeni 21

4. Friday the Thirteenth 37

5. Trouble Has Started 46

6. Eddie Will Fix It 56

7. Bandanna and Coconut 61

8. What Went Through My Head 65

9. Right Makkah to the Rescue 68

10. Between Dream and Deed 73

11. Stopover in Kalangba 76

12. Clash of Civilizations 80

13. Information and Palm Wine 84

14. Unexpected Visitors 91

15. Waiting 100

16. The Road to Freedom 106

17. The Day of Reckoning 114

Part 2 Peace and Quiet: Brussels, March/April 1998

18. Hypertrophy Plasmodium 125

19. Everything Is PTSD 127

20. News of Eddie 129

Part 3 Strictly Business: Sierra Leone, April 1999

21. By Land, Sea, or Air? 135

22. Welcome to the Nuthouse 144

23. Dem Bats Beaucoup 157

24. CO Cuthands 167

25. The Spin Doctor 176

26. Press Trips 180

Part 4 Peace in Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone, December 1999

27. Testimony of Hope 189

28. Let We Forgive 205

29. Getting Away with Murder 214

30. Cease-Beating 223

31. Tjuz Piz! 229

32. The New Water 242

Part 5 Attempts at Analysis: Brussels, Freetown, Wageningen, Antwerp, Bo, December 1999-March 2000

33. Indulging the Young Ones 257

34. Frankenstein's Monster 265

35. Weird Folks 274

36. Lois and Mambu 280

Important Dates in the History of Sierra Leone 301.

Notes:

Originally published: Amsterdam : Meulenhoff, c2000.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [305]-306).

ISBN:

0312282192

OCLC:

48544298