Next Time They'll Come to Count the Dead: War and Survival in South Sudan

by Nick Turse

A dramatic, true story of men and women trapped in the grip of war, Next Time They’ll Come to Count the Dead is modern crisis reporting at its best.

For six weeks in the Spring of 2015, award-winning journalist Nick Turse traveled on foot as well as by car, SUV, and helicopter around war-torn South Sudan talking to military officers and child soldiers, United Nations officials and humanitarian workers, civil servants, civil society activists, and internally displaced persons–people whose lives had been blown apart by a ceaseless conflict there. In fast-paced and dramatic fashion, Turse reveals the harsh reality of modern warfare in the developing world and the ways people manage to survive the unimaginable.

Next Time They’ll Come to Count the Dead isn’t about combat, it’s about the human condition, about ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances, about death, life, and the crimes of war in the newest nation on earth.

Genres: Africa, Nonfiction, War, History, Journalism

160 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2016

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

“for years, the united states has dumped untold billions of dollars into regime-change operations, nation building schemes, military interventions, and interminable wars in the Greater Middle East. Iraqis and Afghans, Syrians, Libyans, and Yemenis have grappled with the consequences. South Sudan was a different type of american intervention, but the results turned out to be sadly similar for its people.”

I discovered Nick Turse after reading Kill Anything that Moves in undergrad. He is an exceptional writer and a thorough reporter. This book was a great introduction to the conflict in South Sudan, something i had no prior knowledge of. Though the main focus of the book is stories told by the people who survived the atrocities in South Sudan, the undercurrent running through the entirety of the book is the continued ineptness of US foreign policy—how it hurts nations instead of helping. There were also subtle criticisms of the UN “peacekeeping” forces— in some instances, when it came time to actually try to save people, the UN couldn’t be bothered. disgusting but not surprising from both the US and UN.

My only complaint is the style of the book—it jumps around and was hard to follow at times. But overall, a worthwhile read.

[Tod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick Turse’s incredibly vivid and bracing recounting of the dire situation in South Sudan was difficult to read not because of prose, but because of the constant inhumanity. He expertly highlights the fragility of a new nation midwifed and largely ignored by the United States. This is a nation carrying the ghosts of decades of civil war and ethnic-based killing.

From the countless individual stories of suffering to the grandiose political and social obstacles the country faces, Turse carefully tells each narrative with the attention of a witness. He reserves judgment for the heinous while maintaining a reverence for human life that shines through mayhem he relates.

Read this book to understand what despair looks and sounds like, what resilience looks and sounds like, and then go on with your renewed sympathy and empathy and lift the world up however you can.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly important reporting from South Sudan. This is a carefully written, awful read; the conflict continues, and this brings it to horrible life.

[Beth MacDougall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hm. This wasn’t what I expected it to be. I thought it would be testimonials from south Sudanese people. Instead it was a story of an Americans journalists time in South Sudan. Was it informative? Yes I suppose. But I just wished the focus was on the perspective of the people rather than an American journalist - who I found sometimes undermined the stories of those he spoke to despite clear evidence. I also didn’t like some of the sources he cited. Informative yes. Engaging yes. But perhaps biased

[Joe Xtarr · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a depressing book. But, you still need to read this! It's written completely with a focus on the people involved and affected by the conflict and atrocities. I only felt that it lacked in a bit of scene-setting and context. I wanted to know more about the history and reasons for what happened, instead of just the account of consequences and death toll. I suppose that the aim of this work was to keep the frame on the people and not the politics, which translated very well through the pages. A quick and fluid read. Much respect to Nick Turse for surviving through this project, and for the care he took to fully represent the victims of this horrendous affair. It's all too real and still unfolding.

[Randall Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five million Sudanese died in a Victorian Era holocaust. Then came two Civil Wars which combined took two and a half million lives. South Sudan, smaller than the size of Texas, votes for independence in 2011. South Sudan is now a country lacking infrastructure, filled with poor people skilled in guerrilla warfare sitting on a lot of oil. One humanitarian worker dies every month in the South Sudan. And it is presently ruled by the Dinkas who are dominating the Nuer in a trajectory that a UN source told Nick could lead to genocide.

[Awak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written and easy read. This is a compassionate and vividly told piece about the terrible suffering in South Sudan's latest civil war. I would read it again and would like to see more from the author.