A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

Another book that I read recently is A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. I enjoyed this book very much.
This book is a memoir of a man who was a child during the conflicts that took place in Sierra Leone in the 80s and 90s. During this time, many of the children got caught up in the fighting that was taking place in this country. I think that the most interesting thing about this story is that it enables you to know exactly what was going on. It is one thing to hear in the news about a conflict, or to hear about how many people were killed during fighting, but this book enabled you to experiance the horrors and tragedy of war. The atrocities commited against civilians are also shocking and terrifiying.
The perspective the book takes changes when Ishmael himself becomes a soldier. As he tells about how he brutally killed people, you begin to understand how it is to be a child soldier, and the psychological effects that it has. Towards the end of the book, it becomes very uflifting and hopeful as Ishmael is able to recover from his psychological damage and brainwashing, and he moves on towards a better life.
Overall, this is an outstanding book that creates many different moods and teaches lessons of how hard war is, on soldiers and civilians.