The Death of Dignity: Angola's Civil War

by Victoria Brittain

Magisterial analysis of human history, from the first hominid to the Great Recession of 2008. Written from the perspective of ordinary men and women.

Genres: History, Africa, Angola

Hardcover

First published April 1, 1998

Reviews

[Minnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read this book twice (for my son's studies!!! silly I know but that's imperfect motherhood for you!) and both times I found her biased and totally uncritical acceptance of the MPLA and Cuba in the Angolan WAr off putting. I use that word judiciously because her way of writing and blatantly biased opinion made me suspicious of anything she had to say and that may well have been a mistake on my part. but perhaps it is also because I am a South African who lived through this troubled time in our history knowing that my contemporaries were fighting against the Cubans and the MPLA.

[Rosie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first introduction to a lot of these groups and ideas and history. It was good to learn about the horrors but should probably expand my reading to be aware of any biases.

[joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was almost as sad as reading Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. The major Western Powers apologetically supported a leader and group in Southern Africa (UNITA) that pioneered some of the worst human atrocities trends in recent history. They commonly abducted kids for soldiers, raped, and hacked of limbs and appendages of civilians. This was to stop the spread of communism, as a Marxist Revolutionary group had gained power in Angola after independence from Portugal.