The Mask of Anarchy: The Destruction of Liberia and the Religious Roots of an African Civil War - Couverture souple

Ellis, Stephen

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1850654174 ISBN 13 : 9781850654179

Editeur : C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd, 1999

Synopsis

Liberia was in the headlines in 1990 when thousands of teenage fighters, including young men wearing women's clothing and bizarre objects of decoration, laid seige to the capital, Monrovia. In response to the crisis, a West African peacekeeping force, ECONMOG, was sent to stabilize the country and prevent the main warlord, Charles Taylor, from coming to power. Seven years later, however, Taylor was elected President. The country had a fragile peace but the war had spread to its neighbour Sierra Leone. This book traces the history of the civil war that has blighted Liberia in recent years and looks at its roots in the way governments have been established in West Africa during the 20th century.

A propos du livre

Revue de presse

'No one interested in the continent can afford to miss this book.' --Sunday Telegraph

'Outstanding. . . . A fascinating and profound exploration of what Ellis sees as Liberians deep spiritual anarchy, manifested during the war in extreme brutality, incidents of cannibalism, and the fighters' bizarre sartorial affectations. . . . Ellis's persuasive analysis of Liberian religious ideology and culture does more than make sense of these strange phenomena. It offers rare insight into the way political, physical, and spiritual power can be linked and legitimized in the popular imagination. . . . A model of lucid writing, thorough research, and penetrating interpretation, this is one of the best books on Africa in recent years.' ----Foreign Affairs

'Cogently argued and supported by wealth of observation.' ----Times Literary Supplement

Présentation de l'éditeur

Liberia has been one of Africa's most violent trouble spots. In 1990, when thousands of teenage fighters, including young men wearing women's clothing and bizarre objects of decoration, laid siege to the capital, the world took notice. Since then Liberia has been through devastating civil upheaval. What began as a civil conflict, has spread to other West African nations. Eschewing popular stereotypes and simple explanations, Stephen Ellis traces the history of the civil war that has blighted Liberia in recent years and looks at its political, ethnic and cultural roots. He focuses on the role religion and ritual have played in shaping and intensifying this brutal war. In this edition, with a new preface by the author, Ellis provides a current picture of Liberia and details how much of the same problems still exist.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
• Date d'édition: 1999
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1850654174
• ISBN 13: 9781850654179
• Reliure: Broché
• Numéro d'édition: 2
• Nombre de pages: 370
• Coordonnées du fabricant: Easy Access System Europe Oü, 16879218; gpsr.requests@easproject.com; ; Mustamäe tee 50, 10621, Tallinn, Estonia; Tallinn; 10621; Estonie