Yero, I think Dr. Saine's critique is spot on. Like every book, this minor 
publication does have its strengths and its weaknesses, and I am grateful 
that Dr. Saine has pointed some of these out and thus mapped the way for 
improvement. Thanks for your comments.

Baba


>From: Yero Jallow <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list              
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [>-<] Dr. Saine reviews Mandela's Other Children
>Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:15:03 -0500
>
>"Mandela’s Other Children, ended much too soon, however." Professor Saine.
>
>Mawdo Galleh,
>
>Nice review from professor Saine. He did good in the review. I like the 
>above quote of his'.
>There is a room for us to hear a lot more from you. I also sensed that he 
>is asking for too much information. In the reviews of Samsudeen's book 
>titled "Coup d'etat", he did a similar job. To some extent, I thought it 
>was a personal matter. He pushed Sam to some unknown corner. I share some 
>of it knowing Samsudeen was working in Jammeh's administration. I 
>understand the professor's frustration. Being a political professor, he can 
>only dig matters in that direction.
>
>"At one level it is a  diary, a slice of Gambian political history, a 
>defiant political commentary, and at another level, it inspires hope and 
>spells out a thoughtful and  progressive political-economy alternative for 
>Africa and to The Gambia’s  current state of affairs of deepening 
>authoritarianism, corruption and  misery. " Professor Saine
>
>Here in this last paragraph, he truly summed up the book. That's what i 
>read from that 101-paged book. Good job elder!
>
>
>Regards,
>Yero
>
>
>
>
>
> > From: [log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask]; 
>[log in to unmask]> Subject: [>-<] Dr. Saine reviews Mandela's 
>Other Children> Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:34:27 +0000> > [ This e-mail is 
>posted to Gambia|Post e-Gathering by "Baba Galleh Jallow" 
><[log in to unmask]> ]> > > Hi All,> > Below is a review of Mandela's Other 
>Children by Professor Abdoulaye Saine, > culled from The Gambia Echo. Dr. 
>Saine, many thanks for this great review. > It illuminates the way forward 
>for this yet evolving project. Godspeed.> > Baba> > > Baba Jallow, 
>Mandela’s Other Children: The Diary of An African> > Journalist, 
>Shelbyville, KY: Wasteland Press, April 2007, pp.101, $ 12.00> > > 
>Mandela’s Other Children, as the sub-title indicates, is a diary of a > 
>Gambian journalists who was a witness to the 1994 coup in The Gambia,and > 
>thereafter caught in the tumultuous political events that followed.> > It 
>is a vivid chapter in the thirteen-year saga of a deeply authoritarian > 
>military and quasi-military regime whose rule continues to be defined by > 
>imprisonment, torture and killing of journalists and civilians.> > The book 
>is, therefore, a riveting narrative that takes the reader into the > 
>torture chambers located in the National Intelligence Agency Headquarters > 
>where operatives inflict harrowing and inhumane atrocities on journalists > 
>whose only “crime” was to have reported the news.> > Consequently, this is 
>a bold, angry and defiant book that, in late > Orientalist Edward Said’s 
>words, “speaks truth to power.” The reader is > treated to a nuanced and 
>contextualized political commentary on military > dictators in which the 
>author ably and appropriately draws important> parallels between The 
>Gambia, and other African countries once under the > grip of military 
>dictators. In the end, the author blends these themes > seamlessly to 
>deliver a powerful message of resistance, hope and liberation > for The 
>Gambia, Gambians and all those oppressed by autocratic rulers > elsewhere.> 
> > Mandela’s Other Children, ended much too soon, however.The reader is 
>left > pondering why the author did not tell of his exit and self-imposed 
>exile > from The Gambia and the circumstances surrounding it. Also, it 
>would have > been useful if the author devoted time to telling his reader 
>what his > relationship with The Independent Newspaper was and the 
>journalists and > editors he left behind to manage it after his departure. 
>This is because by > the year 2000 or shortly after, the book, it seems, 
>ceased to be a diary of > a journalist within the country and shifted to 
>commentary on events in The > Gambia from without. Just as important, some 
>discussion of the author’s > struggles as well as his triumphs in his newly 
>adopted country would have > added immensely to this rich and nuanced 
>narrative.I hasten to add that we > have not heard the last of Baba just 
>yet as I suspect these and many other > issues would be covered in his next 
>book.> > Mandela’s Other Children is worth taking the time to read. It is a 
>quick and > an easy read, simultaneously gripping and interesting. At one 
>level it is a > diary, a slice of Gambian political history, a defiant 
>political commentary, > and at another level, it inspires hope and spells 
>out a thoughtful and > progressive political-economy alternative for Africa 
>and to The Gambia’s > current state of affairs of deepening 
>authoritarianism, corruption and > misery. All these themes are beautifully 
>wrapped in one effortless > narrative. Finally, Baba must be supported by 
>reading this and other books > that he has so far written. He is making a 
>significant contribution through > his varied writings to the growing 
>literary and academic literature on The > Gambia and for this he deserves 
>continued recognition and applause.> > Abdoulaye Saine> Oxford, OH> > 
>Culled from The Gambia Echo (www.thegambiaecho.com)> > 
>_________________________________________________________________> Don't 
>just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! > 
>http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/> > > > > 
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