ReviewsKirkus , February 15, 2011 'Impressively controlled account of the devastating Congo war&The book's greatest strength is the eyewitness dialogue; Stearns discusses his encounters with everyone from major military figures to residents of remote villages (he was occasionally suspected of being a CIA spy)&An important examination of a social disaster that seems both politically complex and cruelly senseless.', Kirkus , February 15, 2011 “Impressively controlled account of the devastating Congo war&The book’s greatest strength is the eyewitness dialogue; Stearns discusses his encounters with everyone from major military figures to residents of remote villages (he was occasionally suspected of being a CIA spy)&An important examination of a social disaster that seems both politically complex and cruelly senseless.”, Kirkus , February 15, 2011 âImpressively controlled account of the devastating Congo war&The bookâs greatest strength is the eyewitness dialogue; Stearns discusses his encounters with everyone from major military figures to residents of remote villages (he was occasionally suspected of being a CIA spy)&An important examination of a social disaster that seems both politically complex and cruelly senseless.â Booklist âCovering the devastating effects of these deadly contests on the Congolese infrastructure, Congolese institutions, and peopleâs lives, Stearns informatively reports on affairs for students of African politics.â New York Times Book Review , April 3, 2011 âThe best account [of the conflict in the Congo] so far; more serious than several recent macho-war-correspondent travelogues and more lucid and accessible than its nearest competitor&The task facing anyone who tires to tell this whole story is formidable, but Stearns by and large rises to it. He has lived in the country, and has done a raft of interviews with people who witnessed what happened before he got there&his picture is clear, made painfully real by a series of close-up portraits.â Wall Street Journal , March 2, 2011 âHe is a cracking writer, with a wry sense of understatement&Mr. Stearns has spoken to everyone-villagers, child soldiers, Mobutu's commanders, Kabila's ministers, Rwandan intelligence officers. In these conversations he found gold, bringing clarity-and humanity-to a place that usually seems inexplicable and barbaric. âDancing in the Glory of Monstersâ is riveting and certain to become essential reading for anyone looking to understand Central Africa.â
Publication Date2011-03-29