In 1991 a brutal civil war broke out in Sierra Leone, a small country on the west coast of Africa. Masterminded by Muammar Qaddä of Libya and Charles Taylor of Liberia, the war engulfed the poverty and corruption-ridden country for ten years. Notorious for "blood diamonds" and amputations, the war saw child soldiers murdering and mutilating civilians, and young people abducted to be ¿ghters and sex slaves. Sierra Leone: Inside the War includes a detailed history of the civil war and narratives from over thirty Sierra Leoneans who witnessed or took part in the ¿ghting, including child soldiers. Through the historical facts and the narrators' words, readers can gain a comprehensive understanding of the politics of the war, the motivations of the ¿ghters, and the feelings and thoughts of people caught up in the tragic violence that swept through the country.