A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
My new friends have begun to suspect I haven’t told them the full story of my life.
“Why did you leave Sierra Leone?”
“Because there is a war.”
“You mean, you saw people running around with guns and shooting each other?”
“Yes, all the time.”
“Cool.”
I smile a little.
“You should tell us about it sometime.”
“Yes, sometime.”
This is how wars are fought now: by children, hopped-up on drugs and wi... (show more)
My new friends have begun to suspect I haven’t told them the full story of my life.
“Why did you leave Sierra Leone?”
“Because there is a war.”
“You mean, you saw people running around with guns and shooting each other?”
“Yes, all the time.”
“Cool.”
I smile a little.
“You should tell us about it sometime.”
“Yes, sometime.”
This is how wars are fought now: by children, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s. Children have become soldiers of choice. In the more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them.
What is war like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. But until now, there has not been a first-person account from someone who came through this hell and survived.
In A Long Way Gone, Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. This is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty. (show less)
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This book is a must-read! The details are shocking even for someone like me that lived in Sierra Leone during the war. Living in the capital city I lived in fear most of those days, but had no idea what other kids my age were going through at the time. Mr. Beah has given me a whole new perspective and understanding on the civil war that took place in my country and I shall never speak about it in the same manner that I used to thanks to his courage.
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The is a must read...It is a detailed look into the shocking events that unfolded during the civil war in Sierra Leone during the mid to late 90's (the civil unrest mostly ended 2002). There have been some critics that doubt some of the events Mr. Beah experienced. I even found myself doubting that anyone could survive such horrors, but he did. It is possible that some of the dates and events became slightly exaggerated in a young man's memories, but I do believe that Mr. Beah wrote this boo... (show more)
The is a must read...It is a detailed look into the shocking events that unfolded during the civil war in Sierra Leone during the mid to late 90's (the civil unrest mostly ended 2002). There have been some critics that doubt some of the events Mr. Beah experienced. I even found myself doubting that anyone could survive such horrors, but he did. It is possible that some of the dates and events became slightly exaggerated in a young man's memories, but I do believe that Mr. Beah wrote this book as he remembers it. The main criticism of the dates (i.e. was he 13 or 15 when this took place...) is of little concern. He was a child one way or the other. Also the amount of time he was a boy soldier is of little consequence (I believe it was a UNICEF representative that said, "one day would have been too long for a child"). With over six million child combatants worldwide that have been killed or injured in the past decade, it is shocking that we do not hear more about this on the nightly news. Another great book that peeks into this world is “Children at War” by P.W. Singer. (show less)
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Unbelievable story. This young man went through things that most of us can't even imagine. Provocative, compelling, and inspirational at the same time. A truly unique book from a truly unique perspective. A beautifully written book about a not so beautiful subject. I recommend this book to all.
John Lewis 16 days ago -
Ishmael Beah
Basically it blew me away. I can't believe this guy is still alive. We are so lucky to be living in a safe country with no wars. The fact that this guy was rehabilitated is a miracle, and that he seems to have such a beautiful soul that is still intact
Jenny Brown about 1 year ago
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