Andrew Dorman introduces Sierra Leone as Blair's second great military adventure after Kosovo and the first he undertook on his own. It is tied to Blair's 1999 Chicago speech on the 'Doctrine of the International Community', his move towards humanitarianism and the impact of the Kosovo experience. The book links this move with the rise of cosmopolitan militaries and the increasing involvement of Western forces in humanitarian operations and their impact on the international system. Furthermore, it places it within the context of defence transformation and the emerging Western expeditionary capabilities, in particular the European Union's new battle group concept and developments in concepts such as Network Centric Warfare and Networked Enabled Capability. 170pp, UK. ASHGATE.

Using ceremonies rooted in tradition, truth-telling bonfires and traditional cleansing, Fambul Tok (''Family Talk'') emerged in Sierra Leone as a unique community-owned programme bringing together perpetrators and victims of the violence in Sierra Leone's 11-year civil war to talk, heal, and chart a new path forward, together. Through photography and essays, this is the extraordinary story of this grassroots peace-building initiative, which will also feature in Sara Terry's soon-to-be-released documentary, FAMBUL TOK. Col photos, 140pp, USA. UMBRAGE EDITIONS.

A first UK paperback edition of a political biography, which explores themes of conflict between Krio and earlier inhabitants and the role of the imperial state. 290pp, UK. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 0521365155

With a focus on recent decades, this reference for students, researchers, and general readers traces the history of Sierra Leone from its earliest known inhabitants to the present day. It contains several hundred alphabetically arranged entries describing crucial events, ethnic groups, movements, political parties, and significant persons. 288pp, USA. SCARECROW.

Considers their mixed heritage, and development in the Twentieth Century up to the 1960s, ten appendices (historical documents). Index, bib, notes, map, 156pp, USA. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN PRESS.

1991 0882581627 Paperback

Monograph which examines the regional efforts at resolving the intra state conflicts in Liberia and Sierra Leone and the use of military force by third parties. Notes and refs, vii, 67pp, NIGERIA, 9781361247

A well illustrated general history, exploring social, economic and political themes. Pbk, 317pp, 1990. MACMILLAN.

1990 0333519841 Paperback

Fowler, William

In September 2000 eleven British soldiers were captured by a notorious militia gang in Sierra Leone. The so-called 'West Side Boys' had subjected their part of the country to a long reign of terror, murdering, kidnapping and mutilating anyone who stood in their way. This is the swashbuckling tale of the rescue of British forces from these fearsome captors. Bib, gloss, maps, col photos, 214pp, UK. CASSELL.

A selection of letters from freed American slaves who'd settled in Sierra Leone during the 1790's. Previously unpublished, these letters record an attempt by liberated ex-slaves to obtain political and land rights in West Africa; efforts that would end in tragedy. The editor provides an historical introduction contextualizing the settlers demands. Also includes a supplementary essay by Charles Jones, examining the linguistic importance of the letters. Notes, apps, 105pp, UK. EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY PRESS.

1991 0748602704 Hardback

Sierra Leone is often cited as a highly influential example of security sector reform (SSR) in practice. In the ten years (1997 - 2007) covered in this volume, Sierra Leone transitioned from open conflict to a process of consolidation and development that culminated in the successful general elections of 2007. SSR is understood as being at the heart of this change. this book seeks to shed new light on this process by giving a voice to stakeholders that were intimately involved in SSR efforts within Sierra Leone. Contributions from both UK and Sierra Leonean personnel provide authentic perspectives that enable us to draw important lessons from a dynamic and evolving relationship between national actors and the wider international community. 240pp, GERMANY. LIT VERLAG.

The Lomé Peace Accord, signed in 1999, presented significant challenges, and possibilities for Sierra Leone. This project seeks to address the void in the literature on post-Lomé Sierra Leone. 192pp, UK. PALGRAVE.

Travelogue compiled from letters written by a colonial geographer, giving insights into British colonialism and its legacy. Spiral bound A4 format, 93pp, UK. ITURI PUBLICATIONS.

Explores the links between a violent historical and political legacy, and the production of secrecy in everyday material culture. Documents the rural impact of the progressive collapse of the Sierra Leonean state in the past several decades and seeks to understand how an even earlier history is reinscribed in the present. B/w illus, notes, refs, index, xii, 287pp, USA. CALIFORNIA U P.

The armed conflict in Sierra Leone and the extreme violence of the main rebel faction - the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) - have challenged scholars and members of the international community to come up with explanations. Up to this point, though, conclusions about the nature of the war are mainly drawn from accounts of civilian victims and commentators who had access to only one side of the war. The present study addresses this currently incomplete understanding of the conflict by focusing on the direct experiences and interpretations of protagonists, paying special attention to the hitherto neglected, and often underage, cadres of the RUF. The data presented challenges the widely canvassed notion of the Sierra Leone conflict as a war motivated by 'greed, not grievance'. Rather, it points to a rural crisis expressed in terms of unresolved tensions between landowners and marginalized rural youth, further reinforced and triggered by a collaps-ing patrimonial state. 292pp, UK. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS.