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The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur | 
 enlarge | Author: Daoud Hari
Publisher: Random House
Category: Book
List Price: $23.00
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Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 5999
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 224
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.8 x 1
ISBN: 1400067448
Dewey Decimal Number: 962.4043092
EAN: 9781400067442
ASIN: 1400067448
Publication Date: March 18, 2008
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Product Description
I am the translator who has taken journalists into dangerous Darfur. It is my intention now to take you there in this book, if you have the courage to come with me.
The young life of Daoud Hari–his friends call him David–has been one of bravery and mesmerizing adventure. He is a living witness to the brutal genocide under way in Darfur.
The Translator is a suspenseful, harrowing, and deeply moving memoir of how one person has made a difference in the world–an on-the-ground account of one of the biggest stories of our time. Using his high school knowledge of languages as his weapon–while others around him were taking up arms–Daoud Hari has helped inform the world about Darfur.
Hari, a Zaghawa tribesman, grew up in a village in the Darfur region of Sudan. As a child he saw colorful weddings, raced his camels across the desert, and played games in the moonlight after his work was done. In 2003, this traditional life was shattered when helicopter gunships appeared over Darfur’s villages, followed by Sudanese-government-backed militia groups attacking on horseback, raping and murdering citizens and burning villages. Ancient hatreds and greed for natural resources had collided, and the conflagration spread.
Though Hari’s village was attacked and destroyedhis family decimated and dispersed, he himself escaped. Roaming the battlefield deserts on camels, he and a group of his friends helped survivors find food, water, and the way to safety. When international aid groups and reporters arrived, Hari offered his services as a translator and guide. In doing so, he risked his life again and again, for the government of Sudan had outlawed journalists in the region, and death was the punishment for those who aided the “foreign spies.” And then, inevitably, his luck ran out and he was captured. . . .
The Translator tells the remarkable story of a man who came face-to-face with genocide– time and again risking his own life to fight injustice and save his people.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 12 more reviews...
 The Translator March 18, 2008
Stephen Balbach (Ashton, MD United States)
18 out of 27 found this review helpful
There are a number of compelling memoirs by Sudanese authors such as They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky (2005), What Is the What (2006), and at least 4 more by or about "The Lost Boys" of southern Sudan. As the conflict has moved north and west, like birds flying before the storm, we are now seeing a new wave of heartbreaking memoirs arriving from the Darfur region. Each story is as unique as the person telling it, and all offer a glimpse into a world few know about because western journalists have so much difficulty working in the country, thus making this first-hand narrative by a native Darfurian a unique and important source.
As a young man Daoud Hari witnessed the destruction of his idyllic rural village by modern Russian-made helicopter gunships and, like the logs of a raft breaking apart in the rapids, he and his family spun off in many harrowing directions. Hari decided early on that he would "use his brains and not a gun to make a better life" for himself. After arriving at a refugee camp in Chad, his skill at languages allowed him to work as a translator and guide for westerners on fact-finding trips across the border into Darfur. On about his 7th trip in August 2006 he became embroiled in an international incident with kidnapped National Geographic journalist Paul Salopek, making headlines around the world. Through the help of friends Hari was able to get out of Sudanese jail and move to the United States, where he now works for SaveDarfur.Org
Hari's easy to read book is an excellent entry point for learning about the Darfur conflict. A nine-page Appendix called "A Darfur Primer" is, the author says, what any Darfurian in a bar would know about their own history. Hari's book contains the most complete version yet of Pulitzer-Prize winning Paul Salopek's 2006 harrowing kidnapping ordeal, taking up nearly the last third of the book; Salopek has not yet published an account, he was severely beaten and almost died (a fate nearly shared by Hari). Hari tells us about the unintended consequences of the Iraq War, saying "Torture was the popular new thing because Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib were everywhere in the news at that time, and crazy men like this were now getting permission to be crazy." Finally, Hari is perhaps most remarkable for never loosing his humanity despite the horror around him, reminding the reader "loosing a baby is hard. It doesn't matter where in the world you live for that." This is a wonderful memoir, intelligent, thrilling, educational, recommend highly.
Saving Darfur March 18, 2008
Kelly Garbato (Kearney, MO USA)
10 out of 20 found this review helpful
Daoud Hari was born to the Zaghawa tribe in Darfur, the westernmost region of Sudan. At the age of 13, Daoud's father sent him to live in the city of El Fasher, located in North Darfur, to further his education - and distance his youngest son from the Sudanese military raids that were just beginning to foment the genocide in Darfur. Upon completion of his studies, Daoud traveled to Libya in search of work, and then on to Egypt and Israel. Daoud was apprehended while trying to cross the Gaza Strip in to Israel, and because he was deemed an "illegal immigrant" (his visa only allowed him to enter Libya), he was sent back to Egypt. There he was imprisoned as he awaited deportation back to his native country of Sudan - where he would surely be executed for his supposed "defection." Incredibly, a kind Egyptian jailer contacted Daoud's friends in Cairo, who in turn reached out to the United Nations and Human Rights Watch. Daoud was eventually freed and allowed to "sneak back" into Sudan through Chad.
This is only the beginning of Daoud's amazing and inspiring story, however. During his time spent "seeing the world," the conflict in Darfur erupted in government-sponsored genocide. Daoud's homecoming quickly turned into a rescue mission: as soon as he reached his village, he and his family were forced to evacuate as the Sudanese military and the government-backed militia groups called the Janjaweed tore through Darfur, bombing villages, battling rebel groups, raping and kidnapping women and children, and massacring members of the Fur, Zaghawa, and Massaleit ethnic groups. Luckily, Daoud did not become one of the estimated 200,000 to 400,000 to die at the hands of the Sudanese Army, but he does represent the more than 2.5 million persons displaced by the conflict.
After finding safety in neighboring Chad, Daoud volunteered to serve as a translator for non-governmental organizations and journalists. While some of his childhood friends chose to take up arms against the Sudanese government, Daoud's education afforded him a unique opportunity to advocate for his people by assisting in the distribution of aid and spreading word of the atrocities unfolding in his native lands. THE TRANSLATOR: A TRIBESMAN'S MEMOIR OF DARFUR is the story of Daoud's risky work as a translator: sneaking across the Chadian border into Sudan (and back again), cultivating relationships with rebels and militia groups, navigating the shifting alliances and, above all else, trying to guide his employers safely through their travels so that they might bring awareness to the plight of millions of Sudanese refugees through their reporting.
Curiously, Daoud's account of his journey back into Sudan from Chad in order to find and flee with his family has a strangely detached feel to it. I can't help but compare it to Ayaan Hirsi Ali's INFIDEL, which I recently finished. Born in Somalia and raised in Ethiopia and Kenya, Hirsi Ali eventually settled in the Netherlands and, later, the United States. While she was living in Kenya, a civil war broke out in Somalia, and many of Hirsi Ali's clan members unsuccessfully sought refuge in neighboring countries. At one point, she volunteered to travel to Somalia with a friend of her brother, who wanted to find his wife and children and smuggle them across the Kenyan border to safety. In contrast to Daoud's journey, Hirsi Ali's account is filled with danger and suspense. Perhaps this difference is because Hirsi Ali's situation was more precarious; she and her companions, of which there were many, had to bribe their way into Kenya, which was not accepting Somali refugees. In contrast, Chad has opened its borders (however grudgingly) to Sudanese peoples displaced by the conflict. Either way, and without revealing too much of the THE TRANSLATOR's story, I found Daoud's subsequent forays into Sudan to be increasingly tense and gut-wrenching. His last mission, the climax of the book, is truly amazing.
While Daoud's life certainly is extraordinary, the true message of THE TRANSLATOR is in how ordinary Daoud is. After all, Daoud is just one of three million plus Sudanese tribespeople to be killed or displaced by the genocide in Darfur. These three million people are fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, grandparents, grandchildren, cousins, friends and kin. They are three million individuals with unique life stories - and a shared fate. Every few weeks, you might read about "them" in the paper, or see a brief segment about the war on your local 6 o'clock newscast. "Them." "The Other." It's simply too easy to think of "them" as a mass, a crowd, a faceless throng suffering a world away. What Daoud has done in THE TRANSLATOR is give these refugees names, stories, lives. THE TRANSLATOR bears witness to their unquantifiable suffering, and entreats you, the reader, to care about their stories, and act on their behalf.
Simple... powerful.. life changing... April 24, 2008
Tom Carpenter (Marysville, OH)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
I was hesitant to purchase this book because the writing seemed very simple as I skimmed the book in the bookstore; however, it is this simple prose that empowers the journey you take with the author. From the opening story of his life being saved by a Journalist to the closing account of the torture and eventual freedom granted to him (don't worry, this doesn't reveal a surprise ending - after all, he did write the book), you feel that you are being told a story in the simple traditional form of an African tribal legend. Sadly, this is no legend!
When I read about the little girl killed by a soldier in a horrific way, I wept. When I read Daoud's commentary on why Darfur marriages last so long (they sleep separately), I laughed. What struck me was how much this man and his family has suffered and, yet, he laughs. He can teach us much about suffering and the ability to continue to believe and hope.
The more important part of the stories, however, is the part that should make us scream for change in the way we have dealt with this genocide and others like it. It's time to take faster action. When we have to wait until there are over 1000 stories to be heard (in order to decide if it is genocide), there's something VERY wrong with our process.
The author makes you feel like you've walked the sandy world in which he grew up. You feel as if you've ridden a camel, pushed a Land Rover out of a ditch, survived a beating and crossed borders illegally for the sake of human life. Why? Because he tells the story in very simple English, which makes you feel your hearing about it all from a child's mind. You connect with the story much as a child envisions she is in a traditional fairy tale. Very powerful!
The author ended his story by saying that he didn't think he stood a one percent chance of being saved from rearrest and possibly being traded back to the government of Sudan, which would likely kill him. Then he said of those odds, "for me, that was pretty good." Indeed, he was able to escape to work outside of the country and, among other things, write this book. I think we have to ask ourselves this: Are we going to give better odds to the people of Darfur and other such nations or are we only going to look at "past" holocausts like World War II and give the lip service "never again"?
Yes. This book has changed me.
I cannot recommend this book to you enough.
 Not as Good as I Expected April 3, 2008
Mark Nenadov (Lasalle, Ontario Canada)
5 out of 12 found this review helpful
Daoud certainly has many one of a kind experiences to share. And it is highly important that we Westerners see and hear stories like Daoud's. This is a first-hand account of a courageous and noble man who risked his life to ensure that the world would hear about what is going on in Darfur.
I applaud Daoud for what he has done, especially the great task he has accomplished in courageously helping out journalists and giving a voice to his people. He has a great message and is an amazing individual. But when I compare this book with the likes of Ishmael Beah's "A Long Way Gone", I find this book lacking. With all due respect, Dauod probably isn't the greatest writer or storyteller. And it shows throughout this book. I do not regret reading this book, but by the same token I didn't exactly find myself glued to its pages like I had initially anticipated. For a book on such an intriguing and compelling topic, I'm somewhat disappointed.
The best part of the book, by far, is the concise yet informative appendix: "A Darfur Primer".
A Remarkable Book! A Remarkable Man! March 25, 2008
B. Case (Redondo Beach, CA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
In the modern Western world, vivid documentary photojournalism plays an important role in how we world learn about major world events. However, when the story is genocide, the visual record can be so horrific that most people instinctually flinch and turn away, unable to bear the sight of so much human suffering. Croatia, Rwanda, Darfur--we are bombarded by harrowing nightmarish images.
It is easy to see why most people might not want to read a book about genocide. But they fail to realize that books work on the brain in an entirely different manner than images. A well-conceived book can promote understanding and provoke action. Take "The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur" by Daoud Hari as an example. Readers would be making a grave mistake if they turned away from this powerful and unforgettable memoir. This book is more than a recounting of genocide. It is a fierce story of heroism and survival--it is also a loving lament to a culture and people on the brink of extinction.
This book is definitely not what you might expect. There are no indictments against the international community's indifference. There is no anger--no blame. Instead, there is a calm heartfelt recounting of three years in the life of one tribesman working as a translator for Western journalist covering the story of war-torn Darfur. The years covered are 2003 through 2006. During this period, the author took immense risks to lead first a team of UN genocide investigators, and then six separate teams of Western journalists into dangerous war-torn Darfur. That he has come out of these ordeals alive is a miracle.
Daoud Hari tells an incredible story! For the last one-third of the book, I found myself gripping the book, unable to tear myself away before knew what happened. Compelling is a word that hardly does this book justice!
Although most of the book deals with the three years that he served as a translator, the author also tells us briefly about his early childhood. These are fascinating tales that bring to life the ancient and vibrant culture of Darfur's peoples.
As a young boy, Hari demonstrated a gift for languages. He was proficient in Arabic as well as his native Zaghawa language, but he also learned English. He learned it so well that could easily lose himself in the English classics--books like Bronte's "Jane Eyre," Stevenson's "Treasure Island," Dickens' "Oliver Twist," Orwell's "Animal Farm," and Paton's "Cry the Beloved Country." His father wanted him to become a camel herder, but Daoud had a head full of dreams. He took off for Libya and found work as a restaurant worker in rich hotels serving international tourists. Later, he tried to smuggle himself across the border into Israel to get a better paying job, but ended up first in an Israeli jail, and then later transferred to an Egyptian jail. Eventually, he was freed to return back to Darfur. He arrived home in 2003, a day before his village was savagely attacked. First, came the Sudanese government helicopters raining down bombs and machinegun fire. After a short interval, this was followed by the "Janjaweed" ground troops intent on killing and destroying everything in their path. His village fought back and many were killed and maimed. Fortunately, the author escaped with most of his family to a refugee camp in neighboring Chad. It is there where western journalist discovered his translating talents.
Working with the UN genocide investigators and journalist, Hari met face to face with countless victims. He hears their stories and tells many of them again in the pages of this book. The scenes of massacre are related with exquisite sensitivity and maturity. Yes, there are descriptions of unspeakable atrocities. But this book is also brimming with humanity--stories of strong family ties, devotion, and love. Overwhelmingly, it is the goodness of man that shines through this horrifying true-life tale.
Don't miss this remarkable book. It will leave you with a better understanding for the nature of genocide and for the complexity of the ongoing situation in Darfur. Most of all, it will stir you to action...after all, that is surely the author's intent--the author must still feel he is fighting the battle for his people, and he is doing it with the one tool he knows best: his extraordinary gift for language.
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