The Zanzibar Chest – Aidan Hartley

Description

The Zanzibar Chest: A Memoir of Love and War by Aidan Hartley is a compelling autobiographical account of war, love, and personal reckoning. Shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for Nonfiction, this memoir takes readers through Hartley’s harrowing experiences as a war correspondent in Africa during the 1990s. Burnt out from witnessing the horrors of Rwanda and Bosnia, he retreats to the deserts of Arabia, where he uncovers the tragic love story of an old friend of his father—one that intertwines with his own search for meaning.

Weaving history, personal loss, and journalistic integrity, The Zanzibar Chest is both an intimate reflection on family and an unflinching look at the brutality of war. A must-read for those fascinated by African history, war reporting, and deeply personal narratives.