Guidebook to Disaster

Given the immediacy of war and starvation, it is tempting to regard the Nigerian conflict as a mere calamity, without considering causes. But this bloody African conflict must be the subject of historical contemplation as well as humanitarian response: we need to know why it happened.

This book will assist those who search beyond the horror. A veteran British reporter of Nigerian affairs, Mr. Schwarz writes with fluency and understanding. The first half of his account is the less inter...