Colin Waugh's book reads like a thriller. Carefully researched, it gives us remarkable insights into the life of one of the most notorious warlords, turned national leader to emerge from Africa in the later part of the 20th century. 'Charles Taylor and Liberia' is an invaluable contribution towards understanding the brutal civil wars that ravaged Liberia and Sierra Leone and their ramifications on the West African sub-region. * Ambassador Francis Tsegah, Diplomat and Senior Research Fellow, Ghana Centre for Democratic Development *
Colin Waugh's book is both informative and thought-provoking. It provides insights not just into Charles Taylor but also into the institutional fragilities and international forces that perpetuated the civil strife in the West African nation of Liberia. On all points, Waugh provides a balanced, well-researched, and well written account of the Liberian tragedy that began in 1980 and continued for almost 25 years. For anyone interested in understanding the inertia of civil strife, the challenge of national reconciliation and justice, and the vagaries of the international judicial system, Charles Taylor and Liberia: Ambition and Atrocity in Africa's Lone Star State is essential reading. * Canadian Journal of African Studies *
Should be essential reading for anyone interested in Liberia and more generally in the unusual role of personality in shaping big * events.' - African Affairs *
A book destined to become essential reading for anyone who want to understand the tragedy that was Liberia. A truly fascinating read. * Linda Melvern, investigative journalist, author of A People Betrayed and Conspiracy to Murder *
Bold in its design as it is discerning/piercing in its content, this study dissects Charles Taylor ruthless and bloody quest for power and wealth. More than a mere account of the enigmatic Taylor, this illuminating analysis is ultimately a biography of the Liberia Civil war, one which examines the politics of violence in relation to the economic, socio-political conditions and processes that underpinned and led to war, terror and corruption. * Mamadou Diouf, Professor of West African History & Director of the Institute of African Studies, Columbia University *
