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First Kill Your Family: Child Soldiers of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army
s virulent cycle of violence.
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
February 1st 2009
by Lawrence Hill Books
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"Can we all get along?" By the time I staggered to the end of this book, I thought of Rodney King and his plea for calm during the 1992 L.A. riots. Apparently, L.A. to Uganda, just getting along is quite the challenge.
Take "a very polite man...a peaceful farmer" cum witch doctor who then becomes a revolutionary force and returns to viciously attack his hometown and the entire north end of Uganda. Add a corrupt government and a warrior tribe living on prime far...more
Take "a very polite man...a peaceful farmer" cum witch doctor who then becomes a revolutionary force and returns to viciously attack his hometown and the entire north end of Uganda. Add a corrupt government and a warrior tribe living on prime far...more
His lack of insight is sometimes astounding:
on p. 97: "Appeals to the Aristotelian notion of man's highest aspect, the soul, are little more than deceptive sales gimmicks, crude tricks on a street corner that rob the poor of what little they have, even life and limb. Everyone and everything is fair game. And it is all done for the aggrandizement of the hucksters and the silver-tongued preachers.".
he is, in fact, trashing "witch doctors" taking degrading descrip...more
on p. 97: "Appeals to the Aristotelian notion of man's highest aspect, the soul, are little more than deceptive sales gimmicks, crude tricks on a street corner that rob the poor of what little they have, even life and limb. Everyone and everything is fair game. And it is all done for the aggrandizement of the hucksters and the silver-tongued preachers.".
he is, in fact, trashing "witch doctors" taking degrading descrip...more
For comparison's sake I would say that this book is the Ugandan equivalent of Philip Gourevitch's book We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families on the Rwandan genocide (and that's very high praise, just for the record). In fact I wouldn't be surprised if Peter Eichstaedt had this book in mind while he was writing: it has the same combination of colonial history and recounting of the war, combined with smaller vignettes and personal anecdotes -- with the overarchin...more
Interesting book on the ongoing war in Uganda. Does a great job explaining many of the things that confuse me about Africa, tribalism, problems caused by post-colonial borders that don't take the pre-colonial factors into account, the seeming abandonment of kidnaped child soldiers and "brides" even after they return home, and lots more. A good place to start if you have an interest in the area.
While much attention has been given to the situations in Darfur and Rwanda, the 20-year-long war in Uganda has gone on unacknowledged. In 'First Kill Your Family', journalist Peter Eichstaedt's goal was to bring to light the suffering of the people living in war-torn Northern Uganda. With each chapter dedicated to a different topic, Eichstaedt interviewed former child soldiers and child brides, former LRA commandants, high ranking officials, etc. to create a first-hand account of the situation. ...more
I thought this would be more about child soldiers and less about the Lord's Resistance Army so I was disappointed when it really was about the LRA. Good information to read before going to Uganda but not a book I'd ever pick up again.
Eichstaedt puts forth a detailed accounting of the often ignored horrors taking place in Uganda, including kidnapping young children to serve as soldiers or "brides" (i.e. sex slaves), the beating, mutilation and murder of dissenters, and the overall destruction of the country as it spirals out of control through violence, avarice, and greed. While the book takes a more journalistic approach, it does include copious first-person accounts and leaves the reader wondering why we know so ...more
This is a close examination of an unfolding tragedy in a remote corner of Africa. Well worth the time to learn about Africa's problems and promise.
This book really explains the 20+ year war that has been going on in Northern Uganda (and now spreading to neighboring countries) -it's origins, major players, the politics involved, and notable events. I was relieved, at the end of the book, to learn that even the author still doesn't understand the motives of Joseph Kony and why this war has lasted so long. I especially appreciated learning more about the role of the Ugandan government and the conspiracies involved. There is so little avail...more
This topic always makes me so sad and frustrated, but its still important to read and not forget about these horrors.
OK, I am done reading this stuff to prepare for my Uganda trip. I am prepared. A person can only handle so much tragedy and sadness....It is time to move onto something much lighter....
This book is terribly upsetting - the worst part is it's all real. I never wanted to read it, but I have met several people who work with the kids who have escaped the LRA and I understand the places they are talking about so it is interesting to me.
I am reading this for Amazon's Vine Program. It's not exactly light reading.
For more about this book, see my review on amazon.com under the title and my reviewer's name, EGranfors.
For more about this book, see my review on amazon.com under the title and my reviewer's name, EGranfors.
Difficult at times but very informative
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Peter Eichstaedt is the Africa editor for the Institute of War and Peace Reporting in The Hague. A veteran journalist, he has worked in locations worldwide, including Slovenia, Moldova, Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, and Uganda, where he was a senior editor for Uganda Radio Network. He is the author of If You Poison Us: Uranium and Native Americans."
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