The Mask of Anarchy Updated Edition: The Destruction of Liberia and the Religious Dimension of an African Civil War

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Liberia has been one of Africa s most violent trouble spots In 1990, when thousands of teenage fighters, including young men wearing women s clothing and bizarre objects of decoration, laid siege to the capital, the world took notice Since then Liberia has been through devastating civil upheaval What began as a civil conflict, has spread to other West African nations.Eschewing popular stereotypes and simple explanations, Stephen Ellis traces the history of the civil war that has blighted Liberia in recent years and looks at its political, ethnic and cultural roots He focuses on the role religion and ritual have played in shaping and intensifying this brutal war In this edition, with a new preface by the author, Ellis provides a current picture of Liberia and details how much of the same problems still exist. Best Download The Mask of Anarchy Updated Edition: The Destruction of Liberia and the Religious Dimension of an African Civil War [ By ] Stephen Ellis [ Kindle ePUB or eBook ] – kino-fada.fr Exhaustively laid out thesis outlining why the war s in Liberia were not senseless as frequently described in the Western media Not for the faint of heart or those easily confused, this extensive book is very detailed and heavily footnoted I would imagine it would be difficult to read if you re not previously familiar with at least West Africa in general Previous familiarity with life in Liberia is helpful Interesting personal note I found the level of detail about the Poro and Sande Exhaustively laid out thesis outlining why the war s in Liberia were not senseless as frequently described in the Western media Not for the faint of heart or those easily confused, this extensive book is very detailed and heavily footnoted I wou...The writing is just terrible.He manages to do several things wrong but I think primary sins are 1 Somehow making an amazingly interesting history seem dull.2 His ability to write overly complex sentences You end up parsing them twice before you ...This is a fascinating look at how culture, in this case the religious beliefs of Liberians, played into the year s long war in Liberia It also makes one realize just how alien Liberian culture and, by extension, other non European origin actually are.Please note I am not saying better or worse although, when one looks at a a place by Liberia, no matter how politically correct one is, it is hard to think human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism are better than our way of doing things just This is a fascinating look at how culture, in this case the religious beliefs of Liberians, played into the year s long war in Liberia It also makes one realize just how alien Liberian culture and, by extension, other non European origin actually are.Please note I am not saying better or worse although, when one looks at a a place by Liberia, no matter how politically corr...Ellis book focuses on the First Liberian Civil War, and though it does provide a blow by blow chronological account of the war itself and the main players and factions involved, the key purpose of the book is to try to bring meaning to the brutal violence of the conflict by tracing the religious meanings and contexts in which the war took place It provides interesting exploration of the Poro religious groups often termed secret societies , through emphasis on the role of the symbolism of Ellis book focuses on the First Liberian Civil War, and though it does provide a blow...This was an interesting perspective into Liberian history and conflicts, focusingon the spiritual religious side and how that influenced the conflict at least through 1997 Stephen Ellis deeply researched this books, using sources from all eras of...Brilliant I could not put it down Made evenpoigniant by the fact that I was reading it in the Kangari Hills in central Sierra Leone which was itself plunged into a tragic civil war as a consequence of the forces unleashed ...Essential pre reading prior to a year long tour to Liberia, this was a shocking book It is hard to imagine that such places and people still exist Yet during that subsequent tour, there were occasions when I had to plan a strategy to get in and out of an office witho...It is a must read for anyone interested in the Liberian Civil War however, it is poorly researched with repeated reference to secondary sources and journalistic accounts His theory about religion is clearly bunk Does Shinto explain the behavior of the Japanese in Nanjing Clearly n...this is the best book i have found on Liberian war so far 2 editions, but the new one does not cover the second part of the war from 1999 2003 still, many insights into religion, witchcraft thinking and its role in the war greatWell researched and written Provides insight into factors that determined the events of the war, especially with regard to the secret societies, the Poro and the Sande.I found the analysis unsettling because it highlights problems that will make Librarians future uncertain risky.

The Mask of Anarchy Updated Edition: The Destruction of Liberia and the Religious Dimension of an African Civil War
  • English
  • 11 March 2018
  • Paperback
  • 350 pages
  • 0814722385
  • Stephen Ellis
  • The Mask of Anarchy Updated Edition: The Destruction of Liberia and the Religious Dimension of an African Civil War