Illustrations  ix

Preface  xi

Acknowledgments  xxiii

Introduction: War Machines  1

I. Histories  

1. The Mano River War: A Chronology  27

2. Hunters, Lumpens, and War Boys: A Social History of the Kamajors  55

3. States of Conflict: A Social History of the Kamajors Continued  88

II. Building The Barracks  

4. Big Men, Small Boys  127

5. The Barracks  162

6. The Hotel Kamajor  194

7. The Magic of War  224

Conclusion: A Laboratory of the Future  252

Notes  261

Bibliography  273

Index  289

“Hoffman’s book is at once a tightly-wound first person account of life amongst Sierra Leone’s ‘lumpen proletariat’ and an impressive work of economic and cultural theory. It is this unusual lens that makes The War Machines so thought-provoking, even for those intimately familiar with the Mano River War, and Hoffman provides enough background and context that it is still a powerful read for the uninitiated. “—D. Tsomondo, cool’eh

“This is an exceptional read for an audience well-beyond war and conflict interested anthropologists. Hoffman has an apt eye, is analytically sass and writes in straightforward prose. The book is richly illustrated with Hoffman’s excellent photos.”—Mats Utas, Anthropological Quarterly

“Hoffman avoids the common language of chaos and failed states, noting that though it is hard to idealize militia life, in this context it may be seen as asocial movement prepared to defend itself against external predations. Highly recommended.”—O. Pi-Sunyer, Choice

“This is a novel departure from most previous studies of youth and violence in Africa, and as such it is a necessary and provocative addition to the literature.… [A] wealth of material he brings to bear on our understanding of youth violence.”—Catherine Bolten, Anthropos

“It is to Hoffman’s great credit as a scholar and author that his writing… is equally compelling, deftly articulating political philosophical concepts (no small feat with the repertoire he has selected) and evocatively rendering dynamic social environments…. Hoffman succeeds in making the political, economic and social connections he sets out to make. The War Machines provides a welcome addition to the modest Mano River canon, and a valuable entry point for academic visitors in and voyageurs out.”—Zoe Marks, The Journal of Modern African Studies

“[A] path-breaking ethnography that offers a completely novel analytical framework for the anthropology of war in general, and for the interconnected wars in the West African Mano River Basin region in particular.”—Sverker Finnström, African Studies Quarterly

“The ethnographic narrative, as well as the crafted images throughout the text, conveys a rich and nuanced portrayal of the lives of Hoffman’s subjects and their context, which avoids at all times violence aestheticizing or full denial of individual’s agency…. This book is a must read for any serious scholar interested in the study of globalisation, post-colonialism, or visual research methodology.”—Yolanda C. Martin, Visual Studies

“It’s clear from the onset that the questions pursued are quite original and nontraditional for an anthropological reading of young West African combatants….widely accessable to those without a specific interest in an anthropological study of Africa.”—Sammy Badran, Theory & Event

“What is especially notable about this work is the combination of sophisticated social theorizing with intrepid ethnographic fieldwork in a very dangerous world. Hoffman’s book is one of the best examples of this new anthropological genre of studying war and violence with fieldwork methods that generate data about the lived experience of violence. Such methods and data help dislodge common assumptions about this violence – wild youth on a rampage, primordial ethnic hatred, et cetera.”—William P. Murphey, African Affairs

“Danny Hoffman has written an interesting and original book, a detailed ethnographic account of a war machine which will beyond doubt prove to be extremely helpful in understanding other contemporary warscapes.... an excellent study and a recommended read.”—Krijn Peters, Journal of Anthropological Research

“Hoffman’s book is at once a tightly-wound first person account of life amongst Sierra Leone’s ‘lumpen proletariat’ and an impressive work of economic and cultural theory. It is this unusual lens that makes The War Machines so thought-provoking, even for those intimately familiar with the Mano River War, and Hoffman provides enough background and context that it is still a powerful read for the uninitiated. “—D. Tsomondo, cool’eh

“This is an exceptional read for an audience well-beyond war and conflict interested anthropologists. Hoffman has an apt eye, is analytically sass and writes in straightforward prose. The book is richly illustrated with Hoffman’s excellent photos.”—Mats Utas, Anthropological Quarterly

“Hoffman avoids the common language of chaos and failed states, noting that though it is hard to idealize militia life, in this context it may be seen as asocial movement prepared to defend itself against external predations. Highly recommended.”—O. Pi-Sunyer, Choice

“This is a novel departure from most previous studies of youth and violence in Africa, and as such it is a necessary and provocative addition to the literature.… [A] wealth of material he brings to bear on our understanding of youth violence.”—Catherine Bolten, Anthropos

“It is to Hoffman’s great credit as a scholar and author that his writing… is equally compelling, deftly articulating political philosophical concepts (no small feat with the repertoire he has selected) and evocatively rendering dynamic social environments…. Hoffman succeeds in making the political, economic and social connections he sets out to make. The War Machines provides a welcome addition to the modest Mano River canon, and a valuable entry point for academic visitors in and voyageurs out.”—Zoe Marks, The Journal of Modern African Studies

“[A] path-breaking ethnography that offers a completely novel analytical framework for the anthropology of war in general, and for the interconnected wars in the West African Mano River Basin region in particular.”—Sverker Finnström, African Studies Quarterly

“The ethnographic narrative, as well as the crafted images throughout the text, conveys a rich and nuanced portrayal of the lives of Hoffman’s subjects and their context, which avoids at all times violence aestheticizing or full denial of individual’s agency…. This book is a must read for any serious scholar interested in the study of globalisation, post-colonialism, or visual research methodology.”—Yolanda C. Martin, Visual Studies

“It’s clear from the onset that the questions pursued are quite original and nontraditional for an anthropological reading of young West African combatants….widely accessable to those without a specific interest in an anthropological study of Africa.”—Sammy Badran, Theory & Event

“What is especially notable about this work is the combination of sophisticated social theorizing with intrepid ethnographic fieldwork in a very dangerous world. Hoffman’s book is one of the best examples of this new anthropological genre of studying war and violence with fieldwork methods that generate data about the lived experience of violence. Such methods and data help dislodge common assumptions about this violence – wild youth on a rampage, primordial ethnic hatred, et cetera.”—William P. Murphey, African Affairs

“Danny Hoffman has written an interesting and original book, a detailed ethnographic account of a war machine which will beyond doubt prove to be extremely helpful in understanding other contemporary warscapes.... an excellent study and a recommended read.”—Krijn Peters, Journal of Anthropological Research

“This is a strikingly original account of a West African warscape, here translated into memorable prose and sophisticated theory. As much a zone of labor and extraction as of war-making, this landscape of fluid and fungible identities forces us to think of Sierra Leone and Liberia, provoked by Danny Hoffman, as a laboratory of the future. This brilliant book will be widely read and debated.”—Charles Piot, author of Nostalgia for the Future: West Africa after the Cold War

“In today’s African worlds people have to constantly come up with new stories in order to access livelihood and opportunity: stories about how they are to be seen, to be part of a larger world. In this account of young fighters in West Africa, Danny Hoffman demonstrates that armed conflict is an opportunity for young men to work. It is work that attempts to be contemporaneous with what is perceived as the ‘real global world,’ to go beyond the constrictions of state, culture, and society. Even if their attempts are eventually incorporated into narrow agendas or the prevailing logics of capitalist administration and value, they still strive to live in new ways. Hoffman, with great courage and hard work, has engaged the complexity of such conflict, making it count for something—the entanglement of brutality and hope.”—AbdouMaliq Simone, author of For the City Yet to Come: Changing African Life in Four Cities

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