Back to Angola reviewed in The Witness by Anthony Stidolph

An excerpt from the review:

 

"There are fine passages describing his travels. The crazy driving along rough, potholed roads, the still-threatening minefields, the rusting monuments to the war, the occasional feelings of isolation and loneliness in a country where few speak English —all these should be wonderfully recognisable to readers, whether they have made a similar journey or not.  

Morris seems to have encountered nothing but friendliness and kindness, even from the war veterans he once fought against, on his 1 500-kilometre journey. Indeed, the only really sour note he hit is when he crossed back over the border and found himself being lectured by a recalcitrant old white in a bar.
Full of action and adrenalin, anger and compassion, philosophy and humour, Back to Angola is an honest and affecting account of one man’s search for resolution and meaning."

To read the full review click here.

PODCAST: Listen to my radio interview with Michelle Magwood of the Sunday Times

Podcast of my interview with Michelle Magwood of the Sunday Times

I talk about the war, by bicycle journey and writing Back to Angola.

Review of Back to Angola

Here is a snippet from the review of Back to Angola by Jenny de Klerk.  It appeared in the Johannesburg newspaper the Saturday Star (3 May 2014).  It is available online on the Artslink website.

Click here for the full review:  http://www.artlink.co.za/news_article.htm?contentID=35372

"As he cycles, Paul muses, recollecting those days in the bush, telling vivid stories of his time in basics, his training, his mates, life on the front line, the terror of the battle on the Lomba River. These are interspersed with his roadtrip experiences, the places, the people, the isolation of being alone with only a few words of Portuguese, battling to share and be understood.

This is a personal account, honest, intelligent, thoughtful and extremely well written. Paul, a psychotherapist by training, brings insight and context to his journey, reflecting on childhood, the moulding of society, expectations of manhood, trauma and the consequences of war."