 "Terrible" | 2005-05-21 |
| - Reviewed By justicesaintclaire |
I hated this book for a variety of reasons. First of all, no one who has any real appreciation of Nigeria's rich and diverse culture, history, literature, music, etc., will be even mildly convinced that this man knows the first thing about the people and the country about which he decided to write this wretched book.
You, the potential reader, may not know this, but at least you have me to tell you before you make the mistake of purchasing this book in the fraudulent belief that you will learn something from it. Maier seems obsessed with simply presenting Nigeria as a basketcase, despite the fact that he does not have a profound understanding of its people. No one like that should write a book like this.
Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe, two of Nigeria's most talented authors, have both written books extremely critical of Nigeria, but they did so from a position of knowledge, and it showed. Which is not to say that you have to be from Nigeria to write a book about the country. Certainly not. But presenting the nation out of context in such an unsympathetic way, with so little nuance, is not only poor scholarship, it's dangerous.
Nigeria has tremendous problems, but it also has amazing success stories, none of which made it into this book. There are stories demonstrating the remarkable ingenuity, entrepreneurship and dilligence of Nigerian men and women under the hardest circumstances. It's a nation with great art, great literature, great music, a great sense of humor, not to mention thousands of years of history, and some of Africa's longest lasting and most interesting kingdoms and cultures.
But, you would definitely not know that reading this book, because all you are presented with is a bunch of miserable information. How would one expect readers to become interested in such a place? I'm not suggesting that Nigeria's very real problems be ignored, far from it. I'm only saying that a national portrait of political and moral collapse should at least show that the nation in question ALSO has remarkable talent, also has some of the funniest, warmest, and most resilient people you'll ever meet, also has a fascinating history, is diverse, and has complex historical reasons for so many of its problems. The book doesn't really explain how colonialism or modern financial interests and corporate interest might play into that. Or, why corrupt leaders come to power. What's the dynamic there? Why does this happen? The book doesn't deign to attempt answer such questions. Why? I have no idea. It just tells us that it's a corrupt country, and that we should care because it has oil, and a hundred million people.
I really think the world would be a better place if uninformed people stopped writing pessimistic drivel that further defames a continent which needs defenders, not detractors. I can't believe I bought this book, and own it. |
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 "A Nice Book" | 2005-01-30 |
| - Reviewed By chippla |
A nice book that touches on key aspects of Nigerian society. For a foreigner, Mr. Maier does a nice job in writing about the diverse ethnic groups that make up Nigeria. However, I have chosen to rate this book with three stars for the following reasons:
At some point in time, I got the feeling I was reading a newspaper. Being well versed and current with affairs in Nigeria, I found most of the stories recounted by Mr. Maier to be very familiar. What Mr. Maier failed to do was provide significant in-depth analysis into the problems besetting modern day Nigeria, or better still, present likely solutions to some of these problems from his point of view.
There are quite a few typographical errors in the book. I also disagree with a historical event stated. This has to do with the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914. Mr. Maier says it was done because Northern Nigeria was running a deficit, while the South was economically sustainable. This is definitely not true. The Northern and Southern protectorates were merged to form Nigeria in 1914 to serve the interests of the British Empire. Mineral resources obtained in the North were shipped to ports in the South to be sent to Britain. It made economic sense to Britain and had nothing to do with deficits or the economic state of the Northern and Southern colonies.
Generally, it is a very good book and one that touches on several aspects of modern Nigerian society in its 300 or so pages. It is definitely worth the read if you are interested in understanding the complexity and diversity of Nigerian society as well as its history, economic state and recent return to a democratic system of government.
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| "A typical post colonial prejudice by a western journalist" | 2004-10-08 |
| - Reviewed By okpenicks |
| It took me some time to get a copy of this book from a friend to read. But after reading it, I was glad not to have a copy myself. It is not that the contents of the book do not correspond with the nigerian situation, but the total lack of objectivity in the book. Maier clearly shows that he is among those we hear are paid to promote and justify the exercise of colonialism in Africa: that africans can not rule themselves. If Nigeria as a house has fallen, then it is due to the wrong foundation upon which the house was built which was the British mess and exploitation. Where Maier tried to remember that there was no nation like Nigeria before colonialism, he avoided telling the truth of the emergence of Nigeria as a consequence of British selfishness. For example, he mentioned that Nigeria had a great agricultural potentials in products such a palm oil and so many things, but quickly added these were exported to England and "inturn Nigeria got millions of tones of cosmetics and gins". Or where he slightly mentioned the activities of oil firms like the royal dutsch/shell in Nigeria, the environmental harzards are not taken note of. For God's sake why could he not tell us the truth that the aim of colonialsm was primarily for the need of his sponsors. Or when he metioned the amalgmation of north and south of Nigeria and termed it "for the purpose reducing deficit of the north", was the aim not to enhance more agricultural opportunities for the great Britian. It was on this bad foundation that ethnic kingdoms like the Igala, Yoruba, Benin and many others who had a very effective leadership and administrative autonomy were forced and forged into the nationhood of Nigeria which even became a problem before the exit of the foolish masters-maier's ancestors. Thank God, people like Alan Burns, a one time Birtish governor in Nigeria still live to write the truth: "Those Europeans who were interested in one protectorate knew little of the other, and wasted no sympathy on their neighbours, while among the inhabitants of the country the lack of uniform system of government had already accentuated the already existing difference of race, religion and culture" (Alan Burns: History of Nigeria,London, 1969. Pg. 11). I would wish that Maeir make out time to reason why he needs to blame his motherland for the many attrocities committed in Nigeria and africa as a whole of which the present situations are hangovers. I could have better not read this monographs of journalistic nonsense called a book on Nigeria, and would never recommend it to any objective mind. |
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 "You Are Welcome, Maier Cracks A Bit of Nigeria's Problems" | 2004-06-16 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| Living in Nigeria leaves one drained, confused and fascinated. Nigeria is like watching a car crash every day; you cannot help but to watch despite the blood and carnage. Mr. Maier's lively account of daily scences in Nigeria is a accessible read for anyone, even those who never set foot in Nigeria or could care less about Africa's problems. A case in point is Maier's visit to former military President Babangida. The President sat in his chalet a few hours drive from Nigeria's capital Abuja, charming, sly, friendly and happy with the billions of dollars he stold from the Nigerian people. In fact, Babangida is set to make another run for President in 2007. Maier allows the former President to talk and expose the underbelly of most Nigerian leaders, avarice, self-righteousness and the ability to buy people off with the money taken from government coffers. In fact, be it Obasanjo, Abacha, Buhari or any other military leader or newly minted democratic leaders, they are all the same people, in the same big seats, stealing the same people and country blind. Sad, but Nigeria. Maier allows the reader in to see Nigeria from Abuja to Minna to Lagos; it is a great read and essential for anyone coming to Nigeria. You are Welcome!! Nigeria, what a country and what a mess. |
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| "old wine in new skin" | 2003-11-03 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| I bought This House Has Fallen: Nigeria in Crisis (Maier, 2003) after reading This house has fallen: Midnight in Nigeria (Maier, 2000). To my surprise, the texts were identical, save for the title and cover picture. Was it the intention of the publishers and the author to reproduce the 2000 publication word for word under a different title? I hope not, but I look forward to hearing from them on this medium since I have not been able to reach them otherwise. |
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 "A suberb account of a neglected nation" | |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
The title suggests the disturbing and eloquent rendering of midnight in Nigeria that this book provides. Maier's writing has continued to develop since his two earlier books to create one of the few magnificent accounts of contemporary African politics. Stories from Nigeria's colonial and post-colonial past are seamlessly linked to Maier's own travels. This book is just as important as Philip Gourevitch's account of Rwandan politics, and should be read by everyone.
For an interesting and thoughtful review of this book you should also see the The Economist's website. |
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