United States Policy Towards Liberia, 1822 to 2003: ... (ISBN 0977090493)

An Uneven Examination:
In this well-packaged presentation, Hyman joins a number of American observers of the Liberian political scene, especially during major moments in the country's modern history. Raymond Leslie Buell of Harvard sought in his writings to defend Liberia's interests during the crucial negotiations that led to Firestone's installation in the 1920s. Ibrahim Sundiata wrote perhaps the definitive account of the forced labor crisis of the 1930s. And J. Gus Liebenow articulated a 'black colonialism' thesis in his path-setting Liberia: The Evolution of Privilege (1968). But what the author of this volume offers is of a wholly other genre. Hired by warlord, and subsequently, President Charles Taylor for various assignments, one presumes of a legal nature, he was associated with official Liberia for twelve of the fourteen years of civil war. That experience apparently impelled him to take up a cause, though one is left wondering whether the cause was that of the Liberian people, as he claims repeatedly, or a hired attorney's brief in the midst of a fratricidal conflict. The book's title is a misnomer since the study clearly is not a treatment of US/Liberia relations, 1822-2003. Often problematic historical sketches are provided, with a more explicit focus on Charles Taylor and the United States. Or better still, an American attorney's defense of the Charles Taylor saga. As to the stated motive for writing the book - To change America's Liberia policy from 'interference followed by indifference to a pro-active stance of cooperation and support for the Liberian citizenry', this ideal statement is at variance with the author's fundamental assumptions, namely that Taylor won in 'free and fair' elections, and that had the US supported Taylor the warlord, and as president, this would have translated to a truncated civil war. There is out there a tremendous body of literature to refute these assumptions. This, then, is not a work of scholarship but essentially of advocacy. --D. Elwood Dunn, Ph.D. Professor of Political Science The University of the South Sewanee, Tennessee

A Profile in Moral Cowardice:
I expected little from Mr. Hyman's book, and even that was too much, although he did pull off the extraordinary feat of being a Taylor apologist while avoiding any mention of child soldiers, rape, looting and the systematic destruction of Liberia. Even Taylor's friends generally feel it necessary to nod to those issues. Not in this fanasty that Mr. Hyman chooses to call history. Yet this is an extraordinary undertaking. It is not so amazing that I and the other journalists who covered Liberia and its tragic conflict are written off as lying lay-abouts, while the courageous Mr. Hyman makes less than a trip a year there over a decade and yet claims to have spoken to and for all Liberians. (When Taylor was known to be plotting to kill me, I asked Mr. Hyman to intervene on my behalf. He would not even pick up the telephone to make the call, despite the danger to me, my pregnant wife and two-year old son. A true profile in courage!) Nor is it too amazing that real historical guides to the conflict, such as "The Mask of Anarchy" are never mentioned. What is staggering is the ability to ignore the Liberian people and their stories to such an incredible degree. Their stories are no where to be found, perhaps because they would have been too at odds with Mr. Hyman's fantasy. Perhaps this book was written out of Mr. Hyman's need to justfiy his fondness for Taylor, in order to be able to sleep at night. Or maybe it is just pure moral cowardice. I sorry I bought this book, and even sorrier for Mr. Hyman.

This guy doesn't know what he is talking about:
I'll just get to the point and not repeat the excellent analysis of other reviewers - Dunn and Kollie. Hyman has not got a clue about what he is talking about.

Best book on Liberia:
The book, the United States Policy Towards Liberia, 1822 to 2003: Unintended Consequences? is the best book a reader can find on this subject. I wish this were not true because the "Unintended Consequences" were far from unintended. Lester Hyman delivers a truthful analysis of what happened. This man has done a great service to the world by documenting the truth. His analysis may be hard to believe, especially for people living in middle of the conflict, but we can learn a lot about from his research. I have never selected a side in this conflict. From my perspective, everyone that chose violence as the answer is on the wrong side of justice. My heart goes out to the people of Liberia for their suffering. The violence ordered by Charles Taylor and other warlords is not condoned in any manner. The stories of what happened in the war can be misleading when you meet Liberians and witness their generosity, compassion and kindness to all. God bless Lester Hyman for having the courage to write this book.

A Good Man in Africa:
Unclear to me why readers/reviewers who are of Liberian descent and with high academic credentials consistently rate this excellent book so poorly.Current and former US government officials accreditted to Liberia regard this intensely educational book as an utter failure at best and bordering on treason at worse. The reviewers who espouse to be journalists with experience in Liberia fare no better. Their osmotic relationship with the US Embassy in Monrovia makes it impossible for them to see anything but "red" when Charles Taylors name is mentioned. For the uninitiated , Mr Hyman's book is a must read for anyone who believes that wars are wrong, that there are never any winners and that any war any where especially in Liberia is a total failure of humanity for everyone. The horrific images of Liberia that would steal across my screen from time to time were always a bit of a puzzle to me...now I understand...and I trust that many more readers will also come to understand through this informative book, the complexity of this beautiful country, Liberia.