Bücher von Ben Rawlence

Finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace PrizeNamed a Best of Book of the Year by The Economist and Foreign AffairsLos Angeles Times Book Prize FinalistThe Dadaab refugee camp is many things: to the charity workers, it's a humanitarian crisis; to the Kenyan government, a "nursery for terrorists"; to the Western media, a dangerous no-go area. But to its half a million residents, it's their last resort.Situated hundreds of miles from any other settlement, deep within the inhospitable desert of northern Kenya where only thorn bushes grow, Dadaab is a city like no other. Its buildings are made from mud, sticks, or plastic. Its entire economy is grey. And its citizens survive on rations and luck. Over the course of four years, Ben Rawlence became a firsthand witness to a strange and desperate place, getting to know many of those who had come seeking sanctuary. Among them are Guled, a former child soldier who lives for football; Nisho, who scrapes an existence by pushing a wheelbarrow and dreaming of riches; Tawane, the indomitable youth leader; and Kheyro, a student whose future hangs upon her education.In City of Thorns, Rawlence interweaves the stories of nine individuals to show what life is like in the camp, sketching the wider political forces that keep the refugees trapped. Lucid, vivid, and illuminating, City of Thorns is an urgent human story with deep international repercussions, brought to life through the people who call Dabaab home.

A ground-breaking and beautifully written investigation into the Arctic Treeline with an urgent environmental message.'Evocative, wise and unflinching' Jay Griffiths, author of WildThe Arctic treeline is the frontline of climate change, where the trees have been creeping towards the pole for fifty years already.Scientists are only just beginning to understand the astonishing significance of these northern forests for all life on Earth. At the treeline, Rawlence witnesses the accelerating impact of climate change and the devastating legacies of colonialism and capitalism. But he also finds reasons for hope. Humans are creatures of the forest; we have always evolved with trees and The Treeline asks us where our co-evolution might take us next.SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES CROPPER WAINWRIGHT PRIZE'A moving, thoughtful, deeply reported elegy for our vanishing world and a map of the one to come' Nathaniel Rich, author of Losing Earth'A lyrical and passionate book... The Treeline is a sobering, powerful account of how trees might just save the world, as long as we are sensible enough to let them' Mail on Sunday'Ben Rawlence circumnavigates the very top of the globe - returning with a warning, in this enthralling and wonderfully written book' Mark Lynas, author of Six Degrees

Brash hustlers, sinister colonels, resilient refugees, and intrepid radio hosts: meet the future of CongoIn this extraordinary debut called gripping by The Times of London Ben Rawlence sets out to gather the news from a forgotten town deep in Congos silent quarter where peace is finally being built after two decades of civil war and devastation. Ignoring the advice of locals, reporters, and mercenaries, he travels by foot, bike, and boat, introducing us to Colonel Ibrahim, a guerrilla turned army officer; Benjamin, the kindly father of the most terrifying Mai Mai warlord; the cousins Mohammed and Mohammed, young tin traders hoping to make their fortune; and talk show host Mama Christine, who dispenses counsel and courage in equal measure. From the blood cheese of Goma to the decaying city of Manono, Rawlence uncovers the real stories of life during the war and finds hope for the future.