Considers how young men in West Africa are made available for violent labour on battlefields and in diamond mines, rubber plantations, and other unregulated industries

In The War Machines, Danny Hoffman considers how young men are made available for violent labor both on the battlefields and in the diamond mines, rubber plantations, and other unregulated industries of West Africa. Based on his ethnographic research with militia groups in Sierra Leone and Liberia during those countries’ recent civil wars, Hoffman traces the path of young fighters who moved from grassroots community-defense organizations in Sierra Leone during the mid-1990s into a large pool of mercenary labor.

Hoffman argues that in contemporary West Africa, space, sociality, and life itself are organized around making young men available for all manner of dangerous work. Drawing on his ethnographic research over the past nine years, as well as the anthropology of violence, interdisciplinary security studies, and contemporary critical theory, he maintains that the mobilization of West African men exemplifies a global trend in the outsourcing of warfare and security operations. A similar dynamic underlies the political economy of violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, and a growing number of postcolonial spaces. An experienced photojournalist, Hoffman integrates more than fifty of his photographs of young West Africans into The War Machines.

"“[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.”" - African Studies 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.”" - Choice

"“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.”" - Journal of Modern African 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.”" - Theory & Event

"“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.”" - Visual Studies

"“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.”" - Anthropos

"“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.”" - Anthropological Quarterly