Dust of the Danakil (African Memoir Series) - Softcover

Mathie, Ian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1906852138 ISBN 13: 9781906852139

Publisher: Mosaique Press, 2012

Synopsis

Drought is a natural disaster; starvation is a man-made tragedy. Preventing the former can go a long way to alleviating the latter, but not without the political will, as Ian Mathie makes clear in this gripping memoir of the 1974 humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. DUST OF THE DANAKIL is a true story of an ill-conceived project run by the author in the violent, drought-stricken Danakil region of Ethiopia. Sent by UK government pen-pushers to harness seasonal flood water and turn the notoriously aggressive Afar herdsmen into farmers, he discovered a hostile environment - in more ways than one - that almost cost him his life. Intrigue, ingenuity, coercion and corruption make DUST OF THE DANAKIL an unforgettable story of despair, hope and frustration which provokes an indictment of the relief and aid industries.

About this title

About the Author

Ian Mathie spent his childhood and early school years in Africa. After a short service commission in the RAF, he returned to the continent as a rural development officer working for the British government and a number of other agencies. His work in water resources and related projects during the 1970s brought him into close contact with the African people, their cultures and varied tribal customs, many of which are now all but lost. These experiences, recorded in his notebooks, were the inspiration for a series of African memoirs, of which Dust of the Danakil is the fourth volume. Ian continued to visit Africa until health considerations curtailed his travelling. He now lives in south Warwickshire with his wife and dog.

Edition details

• Publisher: Mosaique Press
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1906852138
• ISBN 13: 9781906852139
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 264