By any account, to entitle a début novel The Book of War can seem presumptuous. Yet, the book (published by Jacana Media in 2012) brilliantly lives up to the promise of its ambitious name. For war is everywhere here – but not romanticized with the usual bravery, indestructible friendship and clear divide between the camps of good and evil that justify the violence. No. In a sober style made out of short sentences, hand-picked words and balanced rhythm Whyle shows war for what it really is. A physical ordeal against nature and fellow humans. A defeat of minds and souls. A horror of which the only beauty lays in the vast, unspoiled landscape it is set in. From this ocean of brutality paradoxically emerges a subtle tale that reads as an engaging reflection on manhood and humanity...

Full review at AfricaBookClub