Blood Diamonds: Tracing The Deadly Path Of The World's Most Precious Stones by Greg Campbell Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Blood Diamonds: Tracing The Deadly Path Of The World's Most Precious Stones
Book Review: Mixed emotions, but ultimately another naive book about Africa's Ills
Summary: 2 Stars
1. This is a tough book to review.
2. On the one hand, it's fairly well written. The author presents information about the history of Sierra Leone and the past / present data in re: diamond industry. Furthermore, he graphically portrays the numerous horrors of the war there and the resultant utter human misery.
3. The problem is that (as I see it), the author is another among a seemingly long line of western authors who seem to suffer from some liberal guilt about western colonialism and thus blames most of the various ills in Africa to those things that are associated with the Europe /America, including... those buy / sell diamonds. But along with all naive people, the author always looks to the west in fixing all of Africa's problems. If the above statement seems to be illogical, it's largely because the book is in many ways, illogical and based on faulty underlying premises.
4. If one can get beyond the above, then the book is educational for the pure data content... although wading through the pages will get a bit frustrating at times (obviously depending on one's point of view).
Book Review: Greg Campbell goes to Sierra Leone
Summary: 4 Stars
Mr Campbell's book is a compelling account of his investigation into the brutal decade-long conflict that plagued Sierra Leone from the 90's to the early 2000's. It is a very helpful book if you want to understand the local, regional and international ramifications of this purely economic war; a war fought over control of the country's diamond resources.
His tracing of the smuggling of these diamonds into the hands of international terrorist networks is very eye-opening and the most fascinating part of this book to me.
This book is an easy, quick read as the author makes this difficult subject easy to understand. You could perhaps criticize this for not being the most academic-structured work instead having a more sensational type literature style. But he is a journalist after all.
The only quibble I have with this book and for which I deducted one star is he fell into the same trap which a lot of non-Africans do and this is his generalization of Sierra Leone as Africa. He must realize his experience of Sierra Leone is unique to Sierra Leone and not typical of the second largest, most ethnically and racially diverse continent in the world. His references to an 'African sun' (hello, the entire solar system only has one sun. Africa does not get its special sun), 'African market', 'African city' were very annoying. There are over 60 different countries on the continent. Making large sweeping generalizations based on a tiny country the size of North Carolina is for lack of a better word; ignorant.
Book Review: Diamonds sometimes don't mean love and fidelity.
Summary: 4 Stars
Campbell does an excellent job of showing how the conflict in Liberia and Sierra Leone is not just about politics and tribes but who controls the mineral wealth of these nations. In Sierra Leone's case, the political opposition as backed by the likes of Libya was the RUF. They didn't care about the poverty of the people, but cared about controlling the diamond mines that made the RUF's leaders wealthy. This wealth bought all sorts of fancy toys such as RPGs, AK47s, helicopters, and other surplus war material. The RUF used this to terrorize the people of this small country. Diamonds were smuggled out to Liberia and Guinea to be marketed as clean diamonds. The conflict showed true barbarity. People had their hands chopped off by the RUF. The ECOMOG and Sierra Leone Army were just as bad to the civilians. It is no wonder that the citizens of this small state did not lose heart in their long struggle.
The RUF had some contacts with a variety of disreputable pariahs such as Al Quada, Libya, arms merchants, Burkina Faso, and others. This shows the greed that these parties had for Sierra Leone's mineral wealth and what that meant to the poor citizens of this nation. It shows the true nature of these pariah organizations. A good read on a little known topic.
Book Review: An excellent intellectual read...if you can handle it
Summary: 5 Stars
Yes this is the book that the recent movie was based on. No I have not seen the movie. The author is a journalist, and it shows. The depth of research and detail in this book is amazing. It outlines in many layers the diamond industry, its history, and its relation to West Africa. I had no idea what to expect from the book, and was shocked to learn the horrid details and atrocities that have been occurring for decades there. Obviously, like the bumper sticker says, "if you are not appalled, you are not paying attention."
The Western world has no idea what people are suffering for this made up commodity industry. Campbell shows how elite people literally fabricate the demand for diamonds, and its price points. Everyone seems to believe that diamonds are the most precious thing you can give a loved one. Why is that? Have you ever wondered? Why is it better than any other gem or gift? The answers are very interesting, and are laid out in this book.
When you learn the origins of many diamonds, the process they go through and the conditions of the people who mine them, you may want to return it. I know I do. It made me sick. We live in quite a bubble about so many things. I am glad that someone is bringing a conscience to the public about horrible human rights situations like these. The sad thing is that it also makes you wonder why countries like our own are just ignoring it. If we can justify attacking other countries for made up reasons, why can't we take on true issues that are so well documented? It is all politics while people die.
This book is one of the best written books I have read in a long time. Campbell's writing style is intelligent, vivid, and picturesque. His depth of research and personal involvement in making this book is astonishing. I appreciate descriptions that make me feel like I am actually with the writer. Such is the case with Blood Diamonds. An excellent read if you can handle its gruesome reality and deep network of connections to follow.
Book Review: Good but Not Final Word
Summary: 4 Stars
Mr. Campbell (no relation) has an engaging style and has written an informative, though skewed, account of the forces at play in the Sierra Leone tragedy. He skillfully describes how the greed for diamond sale revenue enabled this country to descend into chaos and unspeakable horror. However, he attempts to make this a Western guilt trip by emphasizing how willing market players are to look the other way, thus absolving themselves of any culpability for the bloodbath. Campbell builds on a thin reed indeed, and fails to make analogies with other resources from other strife ridden African countries, such as Angola and its oil, that would more accurately demonstrate how free markets work in an amoral, rather than immoral, environment. I don't see Campbell advocating boycotting Angolan oil because of the atrocities being committed in that conflict. Nor should he, because those transactions occur outside the frame work of a nation's internal affairs, no matter how unjust or cruel those may be. The fact is, African countries have been pursuing the path of self destruction for 5 decades now with no other incentive than for one ethnic or ideological group attempting to acquire wealth and power at the expense of the nation. Attempts to lay this at the West's feet are misguided, disingenuous and unhelpful on many levels, but especially for the average African themselves. While I recommend Campbell's readable volume for its conciseness and wit, please do not limit yourself in seeing other dimensions to this, especially the corruption of ECOWAS and its military mission as well as the ethnic jealousy involved between natives and the economically dominant Lebanese.