A Truly Great Loss

I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Ryszard Kapuscinski, arguably the best writer about the world's trouble spots. Whether it was the Shah's Iran, Angola at the moment of independence, post Haile Selassie Ethiopia, Honduras and El Salvador at war, or any number of African countries at independence, Kapuscinski was a keen observer and brave chronicler of the third world. Indeed, I have not read his one book on Eastern Europe, Imperium because I have always associated him with Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

My personal favorite of his books is Another Day of Life his coverage of Angola immediately before and immediately after independence. The imagery is vivid: the Portuguese hanging on in their former colony and then fleeing with everything that wasn't nailed down; the chaos that resulted from the utter lack of interest by the Portuguese in providing for a peaceful transition.

I also recommend his Shah of Shahs and The Emperor, two compelling studies of imperial decadence in Iran and Ethiopia, respectively. As for me, I'm going to catch up on Imperium and look forward to his final book, Travels With Herodotus. Rest in peace and thanks for your fine work.

Comments

[james]

yes, i am not surprised that so many people enjoyed Kapuscinski as much as I did. Reading the Emperor was like a very dark strange time for me, among the most compelling pieces of political documentation I've ever encountered.