Blood River - Tim Butcher

I've just finished the fabulous 'Blood River', a gritty and epic description of a trip up the Congo in the footsteps of Stanley.

Butcher doesn't hold back on the poverty, terror and sheer horror of some of the places that he visits.  He also leaves the reader to decide their own view of the colonial period in that part of Africa, offering enough insight into the technological developments in the way of trains and ships that changed the region, but only for a fleetingly brief period.

Another thing to mention is the humanity that he comes across in what would be considered an inhumane environment, not only from aid workers and missionaries, but from the locals too.  There is tragedy in this tale and hopelessness, but there is beauty too, a rare feat in a 'mere' travel book,

A hybrid of regional history, travelogue and journalistic reportage is a difficult thing to pull off.  Butcher does it here brilliantly and leaves the reader glad they didn't accompany him, but very glad that he made the trip on their behalf.