The exquisite sheen and might of the Congo itself flow through the pages of Jeffrey Tayler's account. His triumph is his ability to carry us deep into the very heart of Africa, negotiating like an old river-hand the eddies and curves of the dark enigma which is the Congo. There's a rare truth here, the grip, grind and mystery of the African forest, expressed not through a lurid tale of explorer antics, but through Tayler's heroic sensitivity to the everyday lives of river people. Here, in all its sweltering majesty, is the real Congo - the clicking, swirling intensity of one of the greatest of all rivers, as it moves timelessly through the lives of the crocodiles, fishermen and bandits who inhabit its feted shores.
Benedict Allen, author of LAST OF THE MEDICINE MEN and INTO THE CROCODILE NEST
A fascinating record of an often breathtaking journey. Tayler's account is also an incredible adventure story
TLS
A gripping account
BELFAST NEWS
Captivating reading
SUNDAY TIMES
A stirring adventure story, observantly told
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
Immensely gripping
Bill Bryson