Book Review - The Last King of Scotland

I was looking forward to reading this book, hoping to learn more of the story surrounding the infamous tyrant Idi Amin. As such, I found the first stages of the book a little bit laborious. I enjoyed the descriptions of the African landscape and people, but I didn’t find the character of Nicholas Garrigan very compelling. As the book went on, I felt like I appreciated the complexities of Garrigan’s situation and could empathise with his situation, but I didn’t develop any liking for him as a person.

Idi Amin remains an enigma. There was a fair amount of historically accurate or consistent information about him in the novel, as well as plenty of embellishments (like the comical trapped gasses incident). Do we know him any better after reading this book? Are we any closer to understanding what went on during his reign of terror?

I think it’s important to try and understand characters like Idi Amin. History has been filled with people who have risen to positions of power on the basis of natural charisma and radical ideology. Some of these people achieve genuine greatness and leave humanity richer, some of them leave a trail of destruction and horror.

Thinking of Idi Amin, I am struck by the similarities between him and Adolph Hitler. Both started in humble positions in society, found advancement through their military service, and their natural charisma and passionately held beliefs inspired people to follow them no matter where that led. They were able to tap in to the disillusionment and disempowerment of common people and sell them a dream of a better future. They were adept at bullying and seducing people, often using a mixture of both to bend people to their will.

But what made them this way? What madness inspired their genocide? How did they develop such a skewed morality? Was it simply psychological illness such as megalomania or schizophrenia? Was it just that they were a product of their own beliefs?

If you look at Adolph Hitler, his terrible policies were the natural result of his personal philosophies. One reason that he was a credible leader was that he had solid intellectual backing for his madness. But we’re talking about Idi today!

One of the things that interests me about Idi Amin is his apparent sampling of a range of different religious and cultural ideologies. He worldview is a mishmash of Christianity, socialism and Islam jumbled together with traditional African sorcery and folk wisdom. It’s no wonder he seemed confused at times! He worked on a utilitarian approach where he would use any philosophy that justified his mad impulses or served his purposes. He succeeded in deluding himself first of all, and was so was convinced of his own lies that he considered it only natural for others to agree with him also.

His mind was unable to admit it’s own self-deception, so as reality began to catch up with him he became increasingly erratic and bizarre. His subconscious mind was forced to invent ever more ludicrous scenarios to explain the events around him.

When you read of things he said and did toward the end of his rule, you must conclude that he was insane. I would argue that he had just reached the natural conclusion of his approach to life. It wasn’t a medical issue, it was the mind’s reaction to living by beliefs that don’t fit with the real world.

The issue for us is whether or not we are in danger of being in the same situation. Popular culture is promoting a utilitarian approach to religion and belief which says that it’s OK to believe whatever works for you. It denies that there is such a thing as absolute truth, right and wrong. While most people are never going to go to the same extremes as Idi Amin, many people are actually making what I believe is the same mistake. I believe that truth matters, and finding the truth about life’s big questions is one of the most important issues in life. The fact is that reality will one day catch up with all of us, and no matter what we believe, we will be confronted by what is true. The Bible says that this means that one day all people will bow before Jesus and acknowledge Him as the rightful ruler of the universe. Regardless of what they thought of Him prior to that moment, when they actually see Him in all His glory the truth will become obvious. At that time Jesus will judge every person according to what we have done. For those who have accepted forgiveness for everything they have done that falls short of God’s standards, it will be granted. For those who have not, they will receive justice according to God’s standards, not our own.

But that is what the Bible says. Is it actually true?

I believe it is worth doing all we can to make sure that we have carefully examined the evidence and made an informed decision about this. What’s true is true, regardless of whether we think it’s true or whether we want it to be true. What matters is that what we believe fits with what is true.