Another Day of Life

The amazing thing is *how little* things have changed since 1975. Since the fall of Portugal's dictatorship, there has been constant battle for almost 30 years. Jonas Savimbi - introduced here as a very young freedom fighter - was killed in battle only a short time ago.

Added bonus: There's a wonderfully sparse little map of the country & the borders of its neighbors at the front of the book. You'll thumb back to that page no less than 50 times while reading "Another Day of Life."

The title is apropos..when one of the characters utters the it two-thirds of the way into the book, I thought it was the perfect line at the perfect time. No wonder they culled it out of the book and had it serve as the title as well.

I plan on reading the rest of Kapuscinski's works now.


An excellent read   March 12, 2002
dylan555 (Hillsborough, NC United States)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

I read parts of the Emperor in college and expected a lot of this book. Well, it delivered. Kapuscinski shows more in this book about the civil war in Angola than one would expect. They say that a good journalist stays impartial and doesn't get involved with his story, but this proves the opposite. The author goes to Angola at the last minute and burrows into the country. He almost becomes a citizen, learning the local custom and showing how life actually is.

This book is full of insight into the human condition, the problems caused by colonialism, and how stupid war can be. This isn't a war of the front and trenches, its chaos. Chaos dictated by the rules of living in a harsh place like Angola. The weekends are days of rest, the heat prevents battle, children fight and lose interest.

Kapuscinski shows a side to this civil war, and in turn other wars, that you never get to see. This books is funny, touching, sad, and well written. It reads like a novel, it has character and place. The difference is its true. An excellent book for the history lover or the literary lover.


VHS Pre-IB Honors World History Book Review project   February 3, 2005
kka (Indiana)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

This fast paced book taught me so much about Angola's history and
> current dispute. It made me want to learn more about this country's history and
> its people. I enjoyed the book because it was more than just a history and an
> account of war. It was an in-depth look at the people and their culture. It is
> the story of struggle for a whole civilization after gaining their independence
> from the ruthless European nation of Portugal. Kapuscinski didn't try to confuse
> you with numerous names, groups, and organizations. He gave you the basic and
> made the past easy to understand. Characters were brought to life through his
> detail, which made you feel for them when they left or were even killed. In the
> front of the book, a map of Angola is provided allowing you to flip back many
> times while reading this book. You know at all times what part of the country
> you are in and what is going on. A detailed history of the events leading up to
> independence and civil war is also provided in the back of the book. It explains
> what occurred during the war also.
Excerpt of A.K. winning book review! Good Job A.K. Mrs. Arthur


Gripping!   June 8, 2004
B. Berthold (Somewhere out west...)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Anybody not familiar with Kapucsinski's insightful and entertaining expedtions in the world's forgotten corners would do well to start with 'Another Day of Life.' A fast, page-turning account of Angola's tumultuous last days before independence (and the start of one of Africa's longest and bloodiest civil wars!), 'Another Day of Life' viscerally captures the utter chaos of war. Kapucsinski brilliantly illuminates a world where friend and foe slaughter each other through the steamy, tropical nights and then sleep it off during the burning days. In a world where your death comes at the hands of a Kalishnikov-totting ten-year old, where one false step means a life without legs, where the next check-point down a body-scattered road could be your last, Kapuscinski makes us look straight into the face of 'confusao,' the mind-numbing, senseless confusion of war.

Terse, nimble and always entertaining, Kapucinski's musical prose turns the pages for you. At about 130 pages, this is the ideal one-sit read. While the narrative meanders all over the place, you can't help but hold on tight, waiting to see what's next around the bend. Hold on as the sights, sounds and stenches of sub-Saharan African jump right off the page.....whether its the icy calm before an ambush, the bed full of cockroaches or the oppressive uncertainty lurking in the bush....Kapucsinski puts his reader right beside him as he bumps along that mine-strewn bush road. While his books are always long on atmosphere, they are often short on detail. But with 'Another Day,' your imagination has more than enough to feed on.

For those looking for the door into Kapucsinski-land, this little gem holds the key. More cohesive than 'The Soccer War,' more inspired than 'Shah of Shahs,' 'Another Day of Life' is the perfect intro to his African Queen, 'Shadow of the Sun.' So sink into your arm-chair and grab on tight, as this master story-teller takes you for a ride!