Charles Taylor and Liberia Ambition and Atrocity in Africa's Lone Star State

Campaigner, insurgent, arms dealer, warlord, commodity trafficker, elected president, international fugitive and finally prisoner, Charles Taylor sought to lead his native Liberia to change but instead destroyed it in a frenzy of violence, greed and uncontrolled personal ambition. In the process he threw much of Liberia's neighbouring region into turmoil for over a decade, finally facing judgement in The Hague for his role in the Sierra Leone conflict. In this remarkable and eye-opening book, Colin Waugh examines both the life of Taylor himself, as well as the sometimes idealistic but often self-interested efforts of the international community to first save Liberia and the region from disaster, then, having failed to do so, to bring to justice the man it deems most to blame for the turmoil.

Colin Waugh grew up in Scotland and was educated in the UK before pursuing careers in writing and publishing, financial markets, and international post-conflict work. The latter led him to live and travel in over twenty countries in Africa over the past two decades. In 2004, he wrote Paul Kagame and Rwanda, a career narrative of the current President of Rwanda. From 1996-97, he worked in Sierra Leone and later in Ghana, a country of refuge for many Liberians, before returning to Sierra Leone and Liberia itself in 2002, Charles Taylor's last full year in power.  Mr. Waugh currently lives in London, and recently has served on the advisory board of Columbia University’s Institute of African Studies and as director of Lombard Street Associates in London.

"A book destined to become essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the tragedy that was Liberia. A truly fascinating read." -- Linda Melvern, author of A People Betrayed  "Bold in its design as is it piercing in its content, this study dissects Charles Taylor's ruthless and bloody quest for power and wealth. More than a mere account of the enigmatic Taylor, this illuminating analysis is ultimately a biography of the Liberia Civil War, one which examines the politics of violence in relation to the economic, socio-political conditions and processes that underpinned and led to war, terror and corruption." -- Prof. Mamadou Diouf, Institute of African Studies, Columbia University "Colin Waugh's book reads like a thriller. Carefully researched, it gives us remarkable insights into the life of one of the most notorious warlords, turned national leader to emerge from Africa in the later part of the 20th century. Charles Taylor and Liberia is an invaluable contribution towards understanding the brutal civil wars that ravaged Liberia and Sierra Leone and their ramifications on the West African sub-region." -- Ambassador Francis Tsegah, Ghana's former Ambassador to Spain