Written by Greg Campbell
Format: MP3

Written by: Greg Campbell
Narrated by: Tom Weiner
Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins

Format: Unabridged

Release Date:12-01-06


Publisher's Summary

The diamonds of Sierra Leone have funded one of the most savage rebel campaigns in modern history. These "blood diamonds" are smuggled out of West Africa and sold to legitimate diamond merchants in London, Antwerp, and New York, often with the complicity of the international diamond industry. Eventually, these very diamonds find their way into the rings and necklaces of brides the world over.
Blood Diamonds is the gripping story of how diamond smuggling works, how the rebel war has effectively destroyed Sierra Leone and its people, and how the policies of the diamond industry, institutionalized in the 1880s by the De Beers cartel, have allowed it to happen. Award-winning journalist Greg Campbell traces the deadly trail of these diamonds and the repercussions felt far beyond the poor and war-ridden country of Sierra Leone.

©2002 Greg Campbell; (P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc.



What the Critics Say


"A vivid, hair-raising tale of brutal proportions that outdistances any fictional tale of derring-do." (Washington Times)
"This is an important, gut-wrenching story, one still unfolding in the wake of the war and September 2001." (San Francisco Chronicle)
"Mr. Campbell tells this complex tale from a personal, feet-on-the-ground perspective....He reminds us that there is no longer any such thing as an isolated conflict that governments and corporations can ignore with impunity." (New York Times)
"Very bloody and very real."



This book is not really tracing the path of the conflict diamonds very far, it is describing the conflict and the politics involved in the civil war in and around Sierra Leone.

The book is very exiting to listen to since this book was written after "on location" research in the conflict zone.

The book is well written and it is not difficult to imagine the bloody details described in this book, like people having their hands chopped of by RUF rebels because the president had asked the population to hold hands and face the problems as a united country.

Highly recomended!
"Diamonds are not for love"



Any American lady who reads this book will no longer think that diamonds stand for love. They stand for hate and greed and mutilation.
"An eye-opening read that will make you think twice"



I wish that I had read this book sooner to warn me about the vicious brutality that has been perpetrated in Africa over diamond mining. It is sad how poorly regulated this industry is, and what a slick business the de Beers corporation has done to manipulate the market to keep prices artifically high and their pockets fat. I only have one diamond and I have to wonder if some poor soul had limbs hacked off over this tiny bit of rock. I am glad that I read this book because it has opened my eyes to the industry. If I ever buy another diamond it will be from the Canadian mines, cruelty free and from workers paid a decent wage.
"Great inside look at the diamond industry"



What did you like best about this story?

The detailed investigative journalism.


If you could give Blood Diamonds a new subtitle, what would it be?

Amputations live forever.


Any additional comments?

I made this purchase to learn more about Sierra Leone, it's civil war and the attitude sierra leoneians have about the industry that holds them in bondage. All of my questions were answered. I was pleasantly surprised by the detailed look into the history of the industry and the way it operates today. One of the most interesting parts of the book was about the connection between the 9/11 attacks and the diamond fields of Sierra Leone.
"Outstanding"



This was a tragic and compelling story of a child soldier who experiences one tradedy after another, in which circumstance transforms him into a cold blooded killer. The story ripped at my heart strings and Beah's character saturates the story. I look forward to hearing more from this young author.