You know how sometimes you’ll be halfway through a book or movie, and some small detail will catch your eye and you’ll realize that you’ve actually seen or read it before? I had the opposite experience with Bad Lands. I received a copy for Christmas years ago, and every time I saw it on my bookshelf since, I had clear memories of reading it. I recalled enjoying it, so I picked it up not long ago, looking for something breezy and not too daunting to counterbalance the wieghty works on my reading list.
But after a couple of chapters, it became increasingly clear that I hadn’t simply forgotten large swaths of text; I’d never read the thing in the first place. By the time I’d read about Albania’s history, which included being ruled by the spectacularly named King Zog, it was clear I’d simply fabricated a memory of having read it. i would definitely remember learning about a sovereign named King Zog.
The conceit of the book is a travelogue of countries with some reputation for danger. Bush’s Axis of Evil forms a rough framework, but the book ventures beyond this skeletal structure and into such countries as Burma, Cuba, and the aformentioned Albania (a country that Wheeler admits is no longer dangerous, and that I suspect he included mostly because he found it interesting rather than hewing to the theme). The Islamic world is well represented, with Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Libya all getting a chapter.
Descriptions of historical events and politcal issues intercut with details of Tony’s travels. He concludes with a (somewhat facetious) Evil Meter, ranking the level of corruption and danger indemic to each region, and uses this as a springboard to emphasize that even countries widely see nas Good have a seamier side. The book is arranged not by geography or theme, but alphabetically, which is as good as any other way, I suppos,e but feels a bit lazy.
Wheeler’s writing is straightforward and casual, with light jabs of humor to liven up the litany of places, sites, and historical figures. He’s no prose stylist, but the tone suits the work and kept things running smoothly.