Freight Dogs

by Giles Foden

From the acclaimed author of The Last King Of Scotland, Freight Dogs explores the individual consequences of Africa's 'Great War', distilling a world-shaking conflict into the unputdownable story of one man's life.

It is 1996. Manu, a 19-year-old cowherd living on the slopes of Congo's fiercest volcano, must flee from a complex war. Taken to Uganda by a hard-drinking Texan, he is offered a chance to join an anarchic group of mercenary pilots or 'freight dogs'. Soon Manu is seeing his vast country from above and falling in love with flying - but trouble follows closely behind, no matter how fast he flies.

When the past erupts back into this life, Manu is forced to leave behind the African sky for the chilly embrace of northern Europe. Will Manu be able to reinvent himself again? Can he set down the freight which has weighed on his life for so long? And is Belgian volcanologist Anke Desseaux the answer to his problems or simply another one of them?

Genres: Fiction, Novels, Historical Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published August 6, 2020

About the author

Giles Foden was born in Warwickshire in 1967. His family moved to Malawi in 1971 where he was brought up. He was educated at Yarlet Hall and Malvern College boarding schools, then at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, where he read English. He worked as a journalist for Media Week magazine, then became an assistant editor on the Times Literary Supplement. He was deputy literary editor of The Guardian between 1995 and 2006 and is currently Fellow in Creative and Performing Arts at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, and still contributes regularly to The Guardian and other journals.

Reviews

[Lindsay Mouat]

Freight Dogs follows the life of Manu, a young Congolese man in the years immediately following the genocide in neighbouring Rwanda. Called home against his wishes to help on the family farm, Manu is quickly drawn into the conflict which is beginning to engulf his own country.

A moment of fortune introduces him to one of the Freight Dogs, pilots who fly cargo, any cargo - weapons, gold, men - from one war zone to another and for any of the various fighting factions who will pay. It is a high risk, high reward life in an ever changing political and military landscape.

On one level this is an insightful read, linked carefully to a very troubled time in history for Central Africa (it does take some effort to follow the various armed groups as they morph). On another it is a fast-paced story that is adventurous yet filled with sadness, questions of moral intent and, remarkably, love.

It is some time since Foden published the Last King Of Scotland, a book I loved, based on the brutal Amin regime. Freight Dogs stands admirably alongside that excellent novel.

[Blair H. Smith]

I really enjoyed this book. It follows the life of Manu, from the end of school, through a brutal period of Congolese, Rwandan, Ugandan and other countries’ history. Some of this was set in the freight planes whose motley crew of pilots he draws. These planes seen as fragile and dangerous as the cargo they carry and the history they negotiate. Manu is a peaceable character who is forced to face actions and situations that are contrary to this nature. These take him to places and people that take your breath away. It is a period of history that I remember helming but which I never really understood - not surprisingly, given the complexities with the author successfully guides us through here. So, as well as giving us Manu’s story, we also encounter the story of the region at this time, and of its people. I was gripped from the start, disrupted and excited throughout, and breathless by the end. A great story! And beautiful writing.

[Neil Harvey]

As a break, after the horrors of the Bi-Afran war, in Half a Yellow Sun I decided to dive into a 'thriller' set just after the Rwandan genocide leading to even greater horrors of the Congolese war and genocide 😫 Partly because I thought it was just a thriller in the style of Wilbur Smith, but instead, it turns out, is a complex political novel disguised as a thriller. After a slightly clunky opening where he tries to explain the background to the war (which is actually needed as it's so complex and f#@ked up), it goes into the story proper, which despite the politics and horrors, is also a fast-paced adventure and a proper page turner. Overall I got more than I bargained for, but was definitely worth it.

[Gareth Evans]

‘Interesting’ is perhaps faint praise for a novel and I was tempted to award 3 stars because, despite the book’s almost epic nature, it’s not that easy to like. Possibly because it is less portentous than the author feels it is. Nevertheless, the subject matter and the perspectives of the leading character make it a good read.

[Peter Lewenstein]

Just finished this. The gripping, astonishing yet completely believable story of a young man, whose journey takes us through the two Congo wars of the late 1990's/early 2000's, and much further. Beautifully written, great characters, a joy to read.

[Richard]

Im clearly in the minority but this was not a good book. The topics clearly are emotive but despite Manus journey it was clunky, i was never really sure where it was going and it seemed a little lost. In short not for me but as I said others seem to see more in it.

[Roy]

The last quarter of this book really frustrated me ❣️

[Lucy Hamer]

liked the story but not the style of writing, wasn't really a page turner & quite monologuey with manu's thoughts yet didn't really feel anything for him

[Matthew Booth]

DNF - Really struggled with this. Feels like a historical encyclopaedia more than a narrative. The pacing is severely off.

May return to try again later in the year but very disappointed.

[Ryan]

Foden’s first fiction in over a dozen years and proof that indulging entitled UEA students is disastrous for one’s own oeuvre. Better than Turbulence and Zanzibar, but hardly in the same league as Last King and Ladysmith.

[MR ALEXANDER DICKINSON]

Very well written and researched. Very accurately depicts the dysfunction that is daily life in Uganda.