Amazon
Books by Jim Ojiaku
Category:
History
Publisher: PublishAmerica
ISBN-10: 1424170702
Type: Non-Fiction
Pages: 192
ISBN-13: 9781424170708
Book Detail: Surviving the iron curtain details how people survived starvation, a plethora of sicknesses (like malaria, typhoid, Kwashiorkor, etc.) and inhumane conditions when their nation (Biafra) was completely blockaded by the parent country (Nigeria) from which they seceded. The resulting war, known popularly as the Nigeria-Biafra war, lasted from July 1967 until January 1970 and cost millions of lives on the Biafran side. Ever since then, it has remained a hot topic of discussion among those who knew about it or were directly affected by it.
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Book Review #1
Surviving The Iron Curtain by Chief Uche Jim Ojiaku
In reading Chief Uche Jim Ojiaku's book I learned a piece of history that needs to be read by everyone and the world needs to remember the horrors of the war between Nigeria and The Republic Of Biafra and a war that tore apart a country.
He tells of one story about his brother Emmanuel who is killed at the front at the young age of 19 and the beautiful touching letter his father writes to his dead son, "An Epitath To Lt. Emmanuel Ojiaku."
This letter is heart breaking and no one would forget reading it. He writes very lovingly about his mother, father, brothers and sisters and especially about his love for his people. He brings forth in his book many beautiful photographs and diagrams on the many foods in his region and explains in great detail on each food and how they're prepared.
This book is a must read. Jim brings forth the great love he has for his people, his family and most of all his great country. I give Chief Uche Jim
Ojiaku five stars ***** for a book well written.
Joseph Frank Baraba
" Dusty "
Isbn # 1424120187
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http://www.freewebs.com/jfrankbaraba
http://www.authorsroundtable.wetpaint.com
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Book Review #2
What struck me as amazing about the book Surviving the Iron Curtain was the extreme and unusual practices (by American standards) that the Biafran people had to endure. This book was an education in survival techniques that makes even our 1930's depression era seem like a life of luxury.
I was most taken by Jim's descriptions of hunting for large insects and eating them raw! And his detailed stories of how his people foraged and prepared their food and shelters, and even having to make kitchen tools out of scrap metals created a window into another type of life I have never imagined.
The stories of the war and blockade, and especially the family's loss of Jim's brother Emmanuel were very touching and further exposed a culture I've never known.
This was a most interesting book that I would highly recommend.
-Larry Yauk,
Plymouth, Minnesota
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Book Review #3
Surviving the Iron Curtaian: by Chief Uche Jim Ojiaku
My first reacton to this book was one of Nostalgia. I was born in Trinidad, West Indies and was captivated by the description of customs and scenerios so similar to those in my country. Technically we were not at war but memories of Thatched roofs, Straw brooms and utensils used in day to day efforts to stay alive suddenly came to life once more. It's a historical account that should be read by all but would definitely appeal to the people of African descent in the Caribbean, America and of course Africa. It's pure and unadulterated History. The fact that these cultural habits and customs have survived time and circumstance and are still evident in the Caribbean and America today in almost pure form, is amazing.
This work belongs in our personal librariess as an inheritance to our childrens's children.
HPBovell
The Poetess
Memories, Messages and Musings
www.publishedauthors.net/thepoetess/index.html
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Book Review #4
Chief Jim Ojiaku has written a fantastic and excellent expose' of the events of the Nigerian civil war from the home perspective. The rendition of his experiences, his free style of writing, enabled him to compress a large volume of facts with eloquence and details, thus, reminding the reader about why 'war is raw'. Chief Ojiaku wrote from the heart--a testament of the originality that would be a point of reference for future writers, hence there was no bibliographical references. The book portrayed how a determined people courageously persevered over a thirty-month bloody civil war in the face of adversity perpetrated by world super-powers who coerced the international community to look away while they helped the Federal Government of Nigeria in its failed effort to win the war in forty-eight hours, then resorted to blockade and blanket the Biafrans both by sea, air, and land and executed the blood-letting and starvation that led to an eventual surrender to peace in 1970.
Chief Ojiaku indicated that although the battle ended in the war front, the war rages on as people from the Biafran side continue to be marginalized in almost all aspects of Nigerian life--politics, university admission, road construction and what have you! This book showed that Chief Jim Ojiaku can successfully make use of good advise. Thanks to his brother in law-- Professor Joe Akunna who sincerely advised him to put down something in black and white.
Surviving the iron cutain exemplified how Biafra was killed in a genocidal civil unrest, but refused to die. The planned extermination of the Biafrans from the surface of the earth--how civilians were tortured and starved, the poor state of Biafra, how ill-equipped young people joined the war to save their people,how the Biafrans used improvises to fight valiantly as the Biblical David against Goliath. Chief Uche Jim Ojiaku did not forget the benevolence of the Red cross and other relief organizations in breaking the iron curtain despite enemy attack.
Chief Jim Ojiaku deliberately refused to deal with the blame game that characterizes every war. He was right to blame both sides in order to allow the reader to understand his reason for writing the book. Finally Biafra surrendered through the courage and bravery of Colonel Philip Effiong who helped to salvage the human skull that was left of Biafra--in 1970. I strongly recommend this book to all who profess to the Biafran cause-both old and young--a reminder of the indelible scar--that was Biafra.
Chike Uka (New Jersey, USA)
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
EXCERPTS FROM BOOK:
.... To get a dimension of how powerful Nigerian bombs were, when bombs were dropped at that airport or near it, our whole house would shake and some glasses would fall off their cabinet shelves. The reason why the airport was constantly targeted was obviously to dissuade the relief planes from using it. These powerful bombs were usually dropped at nights, coinciding with times when we were sitting in the parlor (our living room) with my father either reading or listening to radio. ....
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.... Since the Nigerian blockade on us prevented us from having access to the “quin” medicines, a lot of people resorted to local medicine for curing malaria. Our most effective local medicine was a drink that was made from special roots and mixed with our illicit gin. This is the same illicit gin that I described earlier that is produced from fermented palm wine. The roots are cut into slices and carefully snaked into a beer bottle. This is how they are sold. The purchaser then pours illicit gin into the bottle, corks the bottle and lets the mixture sit for a day or two, before it is ready to be taken as a malaria drink. ....
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.... As the morning rolled by and Emma left to re-join his battalion at
the Port Harcourt sector of the war, everyone else in my family went
about their business. However, my mind was still heavily occupied by
my pseudo revelation from the night before, during my conversation
with Emma.
On the next day, Sunday June 30 1968, at about 6:00 PM, all of us
were home when we noticed the presence of our most beloved relative,
Chief Cyril Ohanenye (now deceased) in the front of our house. Of
course, this was not unusual since he was a frequent visitor to our
house. What was unusual though was that he had a look on his face
that said a million words.
This might be a good time to provide a little background to one of
our cultural ways of doing things. When something bad happens to a
family, generally a close and trusted relative is chosen as a sort of
vanguard to slowly break the news to the family so as to help soften the
blow. Chief Cyril Ohanenye was a very well-to-do relative who had in
the past provided a huge amount of financial support to both Emma
and me during the time of our High School education. Obviously, he
was someone that my parents loved from the bottom of their hearts.
His son, Augustine and I were classmates at the same High School
(BSC—Orlu). Throughout the time we were in High School,
Augustine’s mother would drive up to our school to visit him and
whenever I was around during her visit, she would give me some
present (money or food item)—without exception.
Although Chief Cyril Ohanenye was chosen as someone to prepare
my family for a situation, his presence was simultaneously met by my
mother and father in the front of our house, with my mother slightly
ahead of my father. It just happened that I was third in line – hence my
opportunity to observe the happenings. Instantaneously, Cyril was
completely overcome with emotion as he grabbed my mother on the
upper shoulders and cried loudly “Nne-Emma” as he usually called my
mother, “Your soldier son is dead”. Nne-Emma stands for Emma’s
mother. Almost simultaneously, a lorry full of soldiers drove into our
compound. This lorry also was carrying the casket containing the body
of my brother, Emma.
Apparently, Emma had been killed at the war front on the previous
day (Saturday), just a few hours after he left our home to return to his
battalion in the Afam sector of the Port Harcourt war front. That was
probably the hottest sector of the war fronts at that time, since it had to
do with protection of the oil production areas. This young man had
been cut down just six months away from his twentieth birthday. What
a tragedy for our family!
At this point in time, my mother was almost six months pregnant.
She would later give birth in October to a baby boy. That baby boy,
Francis is currently one of my two brothers. Considering my mother’s
physical state, it was very hard to control her. She was more than
hysterical and people were afraid to apply any kind of pressure on her to
hold her back. Some women urged me to come and help control my
mother. Considering that I myself was in my own state of shock, I must
not have done a good job in consoling my mother.
How could I control my mother when I could not control myself?
I could not believe what was happening. All of a sudden, my hero was
gone. Our family has lost its super star. It was all over for us. It was
almost like there was nothing else to live for. Moreover, the very fear
or premonition or revelation or whatever it can be called which
occupied my mind for most of the previous day has found a way to
manifest itself.
In my area, when a young person dies prematurely, especially
someone who has impacted the lives of many others, it is common for
the whole community to cry and scream in sympathy. Sometimes, you
can hear the community’s crying and weeping from one mile away. In
this case, our whole compound was stampeded. There was literally no
place for people to stand, let alone sit. As if to join us in the mourning
process, the skies opened up and a heavy rain fall ensued. To my
surprise, people continued to stay in the rain, mourning, weeping,
crying, shouting and screaming – for most of the evening.
All this while, the casket containing Emma’s body was lying on the
central table inside our parlor. Considering that the body was already
beginning to decompose, the plan was to bury him immediately.
However, it was our culture to allow the members of the family to
briefly view the corpse. The sight of my brother’s head was something
that has disturbed me for almost forty years now. His fore-head was
covered with bloodied bandage, leaving me to wonder at what
happened or how he met his fate....
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