Back to Angola: A Journey from War to Peace by Paul Morris


Back to Angola: A Journey from War to Peace
Title : Back to Angola: A Journey from War to Peace
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : -
Language : English
Format Type : Kindle Edition
Number of Pages : 286
Publication : First published March 5, 2014

In 1987, Paul Morris went to Angola as a reluctant conscript soldier, where he experienced the fear and filth of war. Twenty-five years later, in 2012, Paul returned to Angola, and embarked on a 1500-kilometre cycle trip, solo and unsupported, across the country. His purpose was to see Angola in peacetime, to replace the war map in his mind with a more contemporary peace map, to exorcise the ghosts of war once and for all.
Shifting skilfully between present and past, Back to Angola chronicles Paul’s epic journey, from Cuito Cuanavale to the remnants of his unit’s base in northern Namibia, and vividly recreates his experiences as a young soldier caught up in a war in a foreign land.
Along the way, the book provides thought-provoking reflections on childhood, masculinity, violence, trauma and friendship.
Back to Angola is an honest, intelligent and deeply moving account of war and its effects on an individual mind, a generation of people, and the psyche and landscape of a country.

Back to Angola: A Journey from War to Peace Reviews

  • Penny Haw

    A beautifully written personal journey from past to present that examines the demons of war and one man's determination to face them head-on.

  • Monique Moermond

    Thank you for writing a book about your memory of the war in Angola. As a keen cyclist, I can feel your pain of your trip on the road when you came back. I still don't understand war, but reading about the experiences of a bunch of young guys was a real eye opener for me.

  • Nadine Maritz

    NB POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT

    This novel is a memoir of someone's experience, so it's my opinion that you can't say it's good or bad because it's actual.

    There are a bunch of things I loved about the writing:

    I recall thinking at the end of one of the chapters – I think it was chapter 12, that not a lot of authors would get away with just explaining what the sky looked like on the night before they fell asleep. I had to smile. In this case, it really did empathize, the now and here versus the then – of the authors memory.

    Overall, I loved the past and present comparisons in the novel. It portrays the past- and present. It’s definitely a reflection of growth.

    I liked how the author disputes the meaning of pilgrimage throughout the novel and how he says with finality, towards the end, that it was indeed so.

    Apart from the read, I also had the honor to Interview Paul Morris.

    Fans can connect on:

    Twitter: @Afriwheels,
    Facebook:
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Back-t...
    His Blog:
    http://angolajourney.blogspot.com

  • Dorrien Venables

    Even though mandatory service was before my time, I felt that I could empathise somewhat with what Paul Morris went through in 1987. His account of that time felt honest without any pseudo sense of bravado. The switching between the 2 time periods is flawlessly carried out, and having been to some of the places in Namibia I can relate to his description of the area.

  • Raymond

    I enjoyed this book:
    - I could relate to the time of military conscription (though my time in the Navy was more of a vacation)
    - I have spent time in the region and worked with the people – discussing their trials tribulations and training/education in Russia.
    Paul Morris gives you his perspective of military draught without being self-righteous or overbearing.