A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

Beah provides an unvarnished look into the topic of man's inhumanity to man as seen (and acted out) by young men in Sierra Leone's protected 1990's civil war. While this memoir and the events that have transpired in Sierra Leone over the past two decades ultimately provides some cause for hope, the author makes it clear that ANY country can fall into chaos and disorder if corruption and governmental abuse are not kept in check.

Beah spent the day at West Point on 13 April 2010. His remarks to cadets have left an indelible mark on their collective psyches. These cadets have been forever-changed for they will long remember the words of this soft-spoken and eloquent former boy soldier.