Anciens combattants africains

Résumé du livre

This is a collection of black and white portrait photographs of West Africain soldiers, now in their late seventies and eighties, or their family members. The men are largely Senegalese "tirailleurs" who served for the French army during the second half of the twentieth century. (Pictures of the Maison du Combattant in Ziguichor are included.) Other soldiers depicted come from Burkina Faso, Guinea and Benin. Brief details of the mens' lives are given alongside each portrait: these details are conveyed through personal reflections and memories voiced by the soldier, lists of their wartime postings and/or details about their lives at the time the photo was taken. These discreet yet thought-provoking details are interspersed with narrative from Gaston Kelman who describes his meetings with the men and their families. An insightful work for anyone interested in French colonial history and the personal experiences of African soldiers and their families. Guionie intends the portraits and words of these soldiers, who have a largely forgotten, complex history and heritage, to speak for themselves and to bear poignant witness to their past. Includes audio disc capturing the soldiers' voices as they express personal memories, popular songs and poetry about the tirailleurs, and Kelman narration and extracts from his interviews (disc details inside back endpaper).