Review of A Dream For Peace
Posted: 30 Jul 2023, 04:32
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Dream For Peace" by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.]
The book A Dream for Peace, authored by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah, is a memoir that gives an exposition into the author's life, from his birth in Aïn Beïda, Algeria, in 1938, when they were under French rule, through his childhood, his journey through life, his education and studies in France and the United States of America, his role in the fight for liberation of his country from the colonial masters, whose aim was to eradicate their culture and heritage, and his work as a personal assistant to the then president of Cote D'Ivoire, President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, whom he rated and spoke of so highly in the book. The book is a detailed account of Algeria and other French colonies in Africa and their struggle for independence from colonial rule.
The author displayed a lot of courage in the fight for independence, especially in his involvement with student bodies that aimed to free Algeria from colonial rule (despite being a student in France studying medicine on scholarship). He also showed that he was determined to serve Africa when he resigned from his teaching role at Yale University and moved to Cote d'Ivoire to serve as personal assistant to President Félix.
There are a lot of things to like about the book. It displayed the power of diplomacy over force in resolving world issues and working towards peace. It also contains details of some landmark events and periods in various African countries, such as the Nigerian civil war and the South African apartheid regime. The book also contains pictures of some characters, places, events, and items mentioned in the book, which helped enhance the whole reading experience. The language of the book is simple, which makes it easy to understand, and it contains no profanity. Finally, the book points out the importance of peace and unity in our world.
However, the book contains numerous accounts of events and characters, which may seem confusing at some points while reading the book, especially for those reading it for academic purposes. The author also seemed to only point out the good sides and deeds of President Félix, whom he served, while neglecting the negative aspects, though I believe that he was just depicting how he viewed the president. Notwithstanding, the author's story-telling was superb, his writing was exceptional, and the accounts and events in the book were well detailed, showing that the author indeed has a lot of experience. The book was exceptionally well edited, as I didn't come across any errors while reading it; hence, I'll be rating it 5 out of 5 stars.
I'll highly recommend this book to Africans who seek to know their true heritage and the activities of the colonial masters. However, I must point out that this book must be read with an open mindset so as to fulfill the purpose for which it was written—peace.
Students of History and international relations will also find this book very helpful.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The book A Dream for Peace, authored by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah, is a memoir that gives an exposition into the author's life, from his birth in Aïn Beïda, Algeria, in 1938, when they were under French rule, through his childhood, his journey through life, his education and studies in France and the United States of America, his role in the fight for liberation of his country from the colonial masters, whose aim was to eradicate their culture and heritage, and his work as a personal assistant to the then president of Cote D'Ivoire, President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, whom he rated and spoke of so highly in the book. The book is a detailed account of Algeria and other French colonies in Africa and their struggle for independence from colonial rule.
The author displayed a lot of courage in the fight for independence, especially in his involvement with student bodies that aimed to free Algeria from colonial rule (despite being a student in France studying medicine on scholarship). He also showed that he was determined to serve Africa when he resigned from his teaching role at Yale University and moved to Cote d'Ivoire to serve as personal assistant to President Félix.
There are a lot of things to like about the book. It displayed the power of diplomacy over force in resolving world issues and working towards peace. It also contains details of some landmark events and periods in various African countries, such as the Nigerian civil war and the South African apartheid regime. The book also contains pictures of some characters, places, events, and items mentioned in the book, which helped enhance the whole reading experience. The language of the book is simple, which makes it easy to understand, and it contains no profanity. Finally, the book points out the importance of peace and unity in our world.
However, the book contains numerous accounts of events and characters, which may seem confusing at some points while reading the book, especially for those reading it for academic purposes. The author also seemed to only point out the good sides and deeds of President Félix, whom he served, while neglecting the negative aspects, though I believe that he was just depicting how he viewed the president. Notwithstanding, the author's story-telling was superb, his writing was exceptional, and the accounts and events in the book were well detailed, showing that the author indeed has a lot of experience. The book was exceptionally well edited, as I didn't come across any errors while reading it; hence, I'll be rating it 5 out of 5 stars.
I'll highly recommend this book to Africans who seek to know their true heritage and the activities of the colonial masters. However, I must point out that this book must be read with an open mindset so as to fulfill the purpose for which it was written—peace.
Students of History and international relations will also find this book very helpful.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon