Voodoo, Slaves and White Man's Graves: West Africa and the End of Days

by Tom Coote

Crammed into battered buses and less than road worthy bush taxis, or hanging on to the back of a series of pollution spewing mopeds, Tom Coote journeys along the lush but disease ridden Slave Coast of West Africa and then up through the Saharan trade routes into the environmentally devastated dust lands of the Sahel. Travelling through Benin, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali - some of the poorest and least developed countries in the world - we find ourselves amidst a battleground of 'end of days' ideologies.

Dealing with such themes as freedom and slavery, the resurgence of superstition and its threat to rationality, the corporate colonisation of the unconscious, and the modern day construction of tradition, this irreverent travelogue will take you to places both magical and macabre.

Genres: Travel, Africa, History, Politics

236 pages, Paperback

First published December 9, 2013

About the author

Tom Coote's first book 'Tearing up the Silk Road' was published by Garnet Publishing in 2012. 'Voodoo, Slaves and White Man's Graves: West Africa and the End of Days' was published in December 2013, and a third book 'Shadow Trails: Adventures in Dark Tourism' was published in hardback on October 1st 2017.

He has travelled independently in over 120 countries, was a founder of Wicked World Magazine, and irregularly updates his own site at www.tomcoote.net.

Reviews

[Matt Kelland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made me decide I really don't want to visit West Africa. I'm happy to read about other peoples' experiences!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Voodoo, Slaves & White Man's Graves by Tom Coote

If you ever fantasised about flying to West Africa and exploring all its charms - read Voodoo, Slaves and White's Man Graves first. You may well alter your plans. Pithy, witty, acute observations peel away any illusions and any tourist organisations over in Benin, Togo or Ghana may want to buy up all the copies of this book and hide them.

I like Tom Coote's honesty. He doesn't big himself up. Tells it as it is. Pink white man on a budget vacation in West Africa and he's well prepared for the sanitation issues, the culinary surprises, the desperate urge to purge from either end. He knows the danger of walking out alone in cities such as Accra or the sheer frustration of trying to get a visa for Ghana, or a bus in Mali. He does all this for us so we don't have to. Through these pages I have travelled West Africa, felt every bump, met complete strangers and persistent beggars and avoided needles on the beaches. And although I enjoyed every moment from the comfort of my sofa, never once did I feel jealous or an urge to fly Burkina Faso (the third least developed country in the world) and watch flies crawl over the meat.

Interspersed with his text are wry comments of the legacy of history, not only the conequences of slavery, but how much of it is still going on. I learn that 1.8 million children children are involved in the cultivation of chocolate. At least 71 countries use slave labour to produce the stuff. Add observations such as, how hard it is to get a good cup of coffee in Ghana, despite this being where it is grown and this is no mere travel book. It is a lesson in economics and history. Coote notes on how rare bookshops seem to be in West Africa. Even in a city of half a million such as Tamale. Or how many western people 'pay' to look after orphans on brief visits to this region and other scams that enrich locals and absolve westerners of 'guilt'. We get to meet stray westerners who visit or work over there and lively portraits of locals keen to 'help or guide' and one gets the impression one needs deep pockets to survive, even on a budget visit.

Tom visits curious cultural sites - the Sacred Crocodiles of Paga, for example and has to purchase a live guinea fowl to feed one before he can sit on its back. These things don't happen when you visit Paris.

I thoroughly enjoyed Voodoo, Slaves... lively, personal, entertaining and educational, just like Coote's brilliant 'Tearing up the Silk Road', his journey in West Africa is compulsive reading and so vivid you may need some quinine with your tonic to wash it down.
© Sam Hawksmoor April 2014
Joint Editor of Hackwriters.com
author of D'The Repercussions of Tomas D'

[Tawney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book compliments of the author through the Goodreads First Reads program.

Coote is a good writer. Here he describes his trip through several West African countries beginning on the shores of the Bight of Benin and concluding in the Dogon territory of Mali. Along the way he sheds light on a variety of topics - slavery, witchcraft, foreign aid - and the economic cause and effect on the region now. These sections are lively and informative.

The trip descriptions are matter of fact and probably very useful to anyone thinking of travel in this area. Unfortunately the trip takes on a "lather, rinse, repeat" pattern: arrive in a city, find hotel, find food, look at boring market full of Chinese tat, take in overpriced fort/museum/tour, find English language TV channel and watch awful old tv show in room. Yes, that is what travel does boil down to, but Coote somehow never seems to be enjoying himself which, surprisingly (or perhaps not) makes the book a bit less interesting.

There is also a need for some proofreading. Most of it is the sort of thing a spell check doesn't catch, but we are told the Bandiagara escarpment is sandstone and a few pages later it is limestone. (If it is indeed both then a bit more explanation would help.)

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, Tom Coote, generously sent me a copy of Voodoo, Slaves and White Man's Graves.

Part-travelogue and part popular economics text, Voodoo, Slaves and White Man's Graves is an account of Coote's travels to impoverished West Africa. It's a grittier read than many may expect, with a dearth of warm and fuzzy stories. Rather, it looks at the economic, religious, and social structures that define the region, as well as its colonial past, all of which have in many ways crippled the countries' development. It's a tough read in many ways, but I enjoyed the honesty rather than a feel-good fluff piece. As a tourist in the region, it's hard to know if Coote had the long-term perspective of a native of the region, but all in all, a very interesting look at little-known and little-developed areas of the world.

[Skylar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really interesting travel memoir, though I wish I had more of a context of the beginning of the journey. I liked the history and commentary on development, aid, microfinance, and other "hot topics." He had a reasonable and logical opinion that was new-to-me.

I'd have given it 4 stars except that I was regularly pulled out of the story by immature fratboy language. Maybe it's because I'm an American (maybe it's a common British thing?), but if I hear a penis called a willy one more time... And as a woman, I was not pleased when he referred to a "tribal looking woman" who had "her tits hanging out" [and a baby on her back]. I wanted to smack him for a good 50 pages after that.

[Clivemichael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this e-book in a promo. An interesting read. At first I was little offended by his cavalier assessments of the individuals and scenes he intentionally placed himself in. The references to history, philosophical judgements and consequences of colonialism were informative and appropriate although sometimes long and divergent. Good sources for further reading. The narrative was at times choppy and repetitive; like cryptic journal entries from someone in a hurry. Hard to imagine getting a sense of a country from a pass through, but there were some excellent observations of the flavour and economic climate, the on the ground reality for many of the folks he came in contact with.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Anyone who likes to read about the ups and downs of travelling abroad - the difficulties of getting visas, finding somewhere to stay, finding transport and guides to assist - will enjoy this book. It reminded me of my travels there - though not backpacking as Tom did. It is very easy to read and there is just sufficient history and background to absorb without being bogged down with facts. Thoroughly recommend. Am now on the look out for his book about the Silk Route.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this immensely, it took me back to my Grand Tour backpacker days. This is the type of travel all young blokes should experience.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant evocation of a land long ignored...

[Stephen · Rating 1 out of 5]

A little bit racist, a lot condescending, and fairly poorly written. I'll not speak to the author's quality as a traveler, but as a writer I would not recommend.