Great African Reads discussion
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No Fist Is Big Enough to Hide the Sky
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Apr-Jun 2022 | No Fist is Big Enough to Hide the Sky
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Also joining. Don't know much about either so looking forward to it
I have started. Basil Davidson's writing is concise and highly readable.
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I have been intrigued by Amílcar Cabral since seeing a documentary by Ana Ramos Lisboa (https://www.trigon-film.org/en/movies...) about 15 years ago. Very inspiring person, who unfortunately remains largely unknown.
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Have those of you who started the book gotten to the end? What did you think? I'm curious especially for those of you with more knowledge of the era and place, how did you feel the author-- who was clearly partisan-- represented reality?
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Great review Wim. Like you I was also struck by the approach which rejected shortcuts, and slowly but eventually ensured that the revolution was driven by local people. Puts a different light on the oft quoted "claim no easy victories". I am now trying to access reading to find out why did it all go wrong given this careful base that was prepared. Some of the contributing factors might be obvious, internal conflict fueled by personal ambition, urban-rural divide and/or tribalism, the cold war etc. I am particularly interested in the role played by Guinea and Sekou Toure, especially with regards to the "apropriation" of territorial waters, (in my opinion) with possible oil finds in mind. On a sidetrack, Orchestre Baobab, a brilliant band (imho) from Senegal has a track out called Cabral. I have tried to identify the language, google translate suggest Krio. I eventually found a translation in a youtube comment, (language not identified): www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0Vcql53Pns
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I still did not get to the end, but I have to say that I did not become a big fan of the author. He wrote some things that made me frown. On the bottom of page 11 he writes that "the discrimination was tempered from time to time by a certain human tolerance which had is roots, perhaps, in Portugal's own experience of medieval conquest by invaders from North Africa." First, what human tolerance? Second, the explanation is ridiculous. Then on page 45 he wrotes that "[t]hese were peoples who believed that God had given their land to their ancestors, and that their ancestors, guardians of the living and yet unborn, were dishonoured by European intrusion." So? Is that such a far-fetched believe? He makes "these peoples" sound so much like The Other, so different and exotic and naive, even though later on he acknowledges that some European wars also had the same underlying rationale. But very en passant. I couldn't even find that part anymore, where he acknowledges wars in Europe claim the same thing. I only find paragraphs and paragraphs of making the African sound weird with their religious beliefs.
Reading Amilcar Cabral's foreword I see Basil Davidson was instrumental as an Englishman who visited and documented the war, showing his fellow countrymen how Portugal really treated people in their "overseas provinces" (they didn't say "colonies"). But I guess he too read too much Gilberto Freyre. Worse, read and misunderstood, like most did.
This is a journalist's embedded story of the liberation struggle in Guinea Bissau, that captures the day to day struggle and adventure of the militant movement as well as the Paolo Freire-style organizing and the philosophy of Amilcar Cabral and other movement leaders.
I just read this in September and am excited to process it together. The book is short and fast-paced, and the author has some strong opinions. Who's joining? Feel free to post additional background readings and commentary from other perspectives.