Yero, I think Dr. Saine's critique is spot on. Like every book, this minor publication does have its strengths and its weaknesses, and I am grateful that Dr. Saine has pointed some of these out and thus mapped the way for improvement. Thanks for your comments. Baba >From: Yero Jallow <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: [>-<] Dr. Saine reviews Mandela's Other Children >Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:15:03 -0500 > >"Mandela’s Other Children, ended much too soon, however." Professor Saine. > >Mawdo Galleh, > >Nice review from professor Saine. He did good in the review. I like the >above quote of his'. >There is a room for us to hear a lot more from you. I also sensed that he >is asking for too much information. In the reviews of Samsudeen's book >titled "Coup d'etat", he did a similar job. To some extent, I thought it >was a personal matter. He pushed Sam to some unknown corner. I share some >of it knowing Samsudeen was working in Jammeh's administration. I >understand the professor's frustration. Being a political professor, he can >only dig matters in that direction. > >"At one level it is a diary, a slice of Gambian political history, a >defiant political commentary, and at another level, it inspires hope and >spells out a thoughtful and progressive political-economy alternative for >Africa and to The Gambia’s current state of affairs of deepening >authoritarianism, corruption and misery. " Professor Saine > >Here in this last paragraph, he truly summed up the book. That's what i >read from that 101-paged book. Good job elder! > > >Regards, >Yero > > > > > > > From: [log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask]; >[log in to unmask]> Subject: [>-<] Dr. Saine reviews Mandela's >Other Children> Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:34:27 +0000> > [ This e-mail is >posted to Gambia|Post e-Gathering by "Baba Galleh Jallow" ><[log in to unmask]> ]> > > Hi All,> > Below is a review of Mandela's Other >Children by Professor Abdoulaye Saine, > culled from The Gambia Echo. Dr. >Saine, many thanks for this great review. > It illuminates the way forward >for this yet evolving project. Godspeed.> > Baba> > > Baba Jallow, >Mandela’s Other Children: The Diary of An African> > Journalist, >Shelbyville, KY: Wasteland Press, April 2007, pp.101, $ 12.00> > > >Mandela’s Other Children, as the sub-title indicates, is a diary of a > >Gambian journalists who was a witness to the 1994 coup in The Gambia,and > >thereafter caught in the tumultuous political events that followed.> > It >is a vivid chapter in the thirteen-year saga of a deeply authoritarian > >military and quasi-military regime whose rule continues to be defined by > >imprisonment, torture and killing of journalists and civilians.> > The book >is, therefore, a riveting narrative that takes the reader into the > >torture chambers located in the National Intelligence Agency Headquarters > >where operatives inflict harrowing and inhumane atrocities on journalists > >whose only “crime” was to have reported the news.> > Consequently, this is >a bold, angry and defiant book that, in late > Orientalist Edward Said’s >words, “speaks truth to power.” The reader is > treated to a nuanced and >contextualized political commentary on military > dictators in which the >author ably and appropriately draws important> parallels between The >Gambia, and other African countries once under the > grip of military >dictators. In the end, the author blends these themes > seamlessly to >deliver a powerful message of resistance, hope and liberation > for The >Gambia, Gambians and all those oppressed by autocratic rulers > elsewhere.> > > Mandela’s Other Children, ended much too soon, however.The reader is >left > pondering why the author did not tell of his exit and self-imposed >exile > from The Gambia and the circumstances surrounding it. Also, it >would have > been useful if the author devoted time to telling his reader >what his > relationship with The Independent Newspaper was and the >journalists and > editors he left behind to manage it after his departure. >This is because by > the year 2000 or shortly after, the book, it seems, >ceased to be a diary of > a journalist within the country and shifted to >commentary on events in The > Gambia from without. Just as important, some >discussion of the author’s > struggles as well as his triumphs in his newly >adopted country would have > added immensely to this rich and nuanced >narrative.I hasten to add that we > have not heard the last of Baba just >yet as I suspect these and many other > issues would be covered in his next >book.> > Mandela’s Other Children is worth taking the time to read. It is a >quick and > an easy read, simultaneously gripping and interesting. At one >level it is a > diary, a slice of Gambian political history, a defiant >political commentary, > and at another level, it inspires hope and spells >out a thoughtful and > progressive political-economy alternative for Africa >and to The Gambia’s > current state of affairs of deepening >authoritarianism, corruption and > misery. All these themes are beautifully >wrapped in one effortless > narrative. Finally, Baba must be supported by >reading this and other books > that he has so far written. He is making a >significant contribution through > his varied writings to the growing >literary and academic literature on The > Gambia and for this he deserves >continued recognition and applause.> > Abdoulaye Saine> Oxford, OH> > >Culled from The Gambia Echo (www.thegambiaecho.com)> > >_________________________________________________________________> Don't >just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! > >http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/> > > > > >----------------------------gambiapost.NET------------------------------> >We thank you for joining our forum. The purpose of The Gambia Post Forum >is> to provide a place for national discourse, a place where we can >exchange ideas> and share common interests. The Gambia Post is the largest >Gambian online> community on the Web where a variety of issues are >discussed. We maintain an> Open Forum for ALL Gambians and Friends of The >Gambia, accessible to people of> all works of life, and ages. 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