I really enjoyed this travelogue - some have criticised (on Amazon rather than on LT) it's same-ey-ness but what do they expect ? It's a man canoeing down a river in Congo - it isn't going to change that much is it ? What is awe-inspiring is that (without wishing to give spoilers away) this is a proper dangerous 50/50 you make it out alive trip and primarily because of the locals not the dangers of the river itself. I've read a LOT of travel writing - the danger element is often used in marketing and is usually hyperbole - this isn't the case here, and you will read about the best and worst of man.
Quite often I read a decent travelogue and think ' I'd like to do that' - not this time, but I'm glad Phil did it / succeeded and wrote about it. ( )

The author, a retired elite British soldier, canoed the Congo River almost entirely by himself and lived to tell about it! He started close to the river’s source (the actual source being too small for his canoe) in northern Zambia and traveled through the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Atlantic Ocean. I learned so much about both countries. Almost everyone told him he’d die, especially given the violence in the DR Congo. Sometimes it felt like he’d finally be done in—almost always by corrupt government officials (or who claimed to be official)—or at least robbed of what little he had. But as a retired soldier he had methods to deal with the bullies. He must be pretty intimidating. This was an exciting and educational read and I enjoyed it so much I listened to it almost constantly and I wasn’t listening to it I was giving the family an update on the status of his trip.

I couldn’t help but compare this book to the trilogy by the author who walked the Silk Road. This was a far easier read. In both, the authors were confronted on numerous occasions that threatened their life. But here we had an intimidating elite soldier who also could escape down the river in his canoe. The trek on the Silk Road gave the author (not a soldier) little escape, and he almost died from food poisoning. It was far more harrowing and while I liked the Silk Road books, they made me depressed at the sheer awfulness of some people. The tagged book also confirmed that the reading continent challenges on Litsy have opened up a new genre to me that I really enjoy and love: travel. I thought they’d be boring, but dang they are often like thrillers! But I also love learning how people live in places I’ll never visit. ( )

Harwood sets out to canoe the entire length of the Congo river, from the attributed source to the sea. It is an unbelievably tough journey, with 10 hours paddling in his canoe each and every day. The route is through one of the most desperate parts of the world, with the fall out from years of poverty and civil war.

He meets the entire spectrum of humanity along the way, from nasty pieces of work, real death threats, and people who could not be any friendlier and more generous, and who are embarrassed about their fellow countrymen's behaviour. Through all the trial he survives and learns as much about himself, as Africa.

A book that those who have read Blood River will like. ( )

Canoeing the congo really makes you feel like your in africa exploring the different parts and extremely hilarious. An adventure of a lifetime of challenges yet exasperating moments when things dont work at phil harwoods moment but well deserved oscar awarding book. ( )

Recommend for anyone with an interest in outdoor adventure in Africa, but not as an introduction. It could been a better book, given the material and journey. On the plus side I was able to follow the trip with Google Earth and could see the territory and rapids he went through which was very satisfying, even if Harwood doesn't describe them very much you can still view it yourself in detail. I now have a basic sense of the river I didn't have before. As well the people who live at subsistence levels. In a lawless land beset by war and poverty there is a desperation that creates a sort of common every day evil that wore Harwood down and I suspect hardened him from really being able to enjoy the trip. He even says at one point Congo would be a great place if not for the people (the bad ones). Nevertheless he says most were good people. ( )