Black Man's Grave: Letters From Sierra Leone
These authors draw upon a rich vein of personal experience...[in] Sierra Leone to depict that country's brutal civil war....Dozens of letters from local leaders add to the vivid reality of this book....Clearly and concisely written...with the addition of interesting personal perspectives.  Summing Up: Recommended. --Choice magazine, September 2007What is new in this book--and what makes it enormously readable and of enduring interest--are the letters from Sierra Leonean friends of the two American authors, formerly Peace Corps volunteers.... Gary Stewart and John Amman, who know the country well, are clearly very nostalgic about it, providing an eloquent context for the letters, and making this book a valuable historical document.... The letters are a testament to the tragedies as well as the pathos of a war driven by forces barely understood by the majority of Sierra Leone's people, but which changed their lives and their country profoundly. --Other Facets, Partnership Africa CanadaThe book tells a gripping tale....It is so well structured and carefully written that it makes almost lucid what in certain respects must always remain utterly incomprehensible.  The analysis begins with historical context centered on the capital city, Freetown, from which at a steady pace it broadens in scope and complexity.  The authors wisely refrain from blatant editorializing as they delineate the sequence of events, allowing the awful facts to speak for themselves, which they do, loudly and clearly. Thus Stewart and Amman create the necessary big picture while extracts of correspondence from their former neighbors provide helpful close-ups along the way. --Ted Boothroyd, The Beat