The Ringtone and the Drum: Travels in the World's Poorest Countries

Tucked away in a remote part of Africa, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso, three of the world's poorest countries, are in the throes of great upheaval. Globalisation has shown their people that a more comfortable life is possible, but as they strive to attain it, climate change, the population boom, the tyrants of the old guard and the firm grip of tradition block their way.

The clash between old and new is explosive. Civil wars erupt without warning, with drugged up rebels fighti...