Monrovia – A new book detailing the gripping and no-holds-barred story about the rise and presidency of Liberian President George Weah is set to be launched in March 2023.
Penned by internationally-proclaimed and award-winning investigative journalist, Rodney D. Sieh, the book, George Weah: The Story of Africa’s Footballer President – An Unofficial Biography, delves into the life of one of the world’s greatest football icons and how he came to the decision to run for the Liberian Presidency, the challenges he has had to deal with since his election in 2017 and the many missteps that have dogged his reign since transitioning from footballer to president.
Events Planned in London, US
The story, wonderfully woven in the backdrop of a country emerging out of the ashes of a brutal civil war and a successive democratic transition, traces the football legend’s early years as a raw, untapped talent to his conquering of the beautiful game as one of its most prized ambassadors, climaxing with his reluctance to accept the reality that age had finally caught up with him as he took leave of the game which brought him to prominence, and his eventual decision to venture into the rugged jungle of African politics.
The book will be released in March 2023 with two events, planned: The first takes place on March 11, 2023 at the One Bird Cage Walk in Westminster, London where the author will have a sit-down conversation about the book and sign autograph copies, with Nero Ughwujabo, a senior strategy advisor at the prince’s trust and former special advisor to UK Prime Minister Theresa May, the first person of African descent to hold the position.
On April 1, 2023, the author will appear at The Gathering Country Club in Washington, DC for the Official book launch and after party.
A CONVERSATION WITH JOURNALIST & AUTHOR RODNEY D. SIEH
Reviews: ‘Bold, Breezy, Unputdownable’
Early reviews of the book have been massive.
Musikilu Mojeed, Editor-in-Chief, Premium Times, Nigeria describes the book as “Unputdownable —A bold, breezy, matter-of-fact book detailing the fascinating failings and political odyssey of one of the world’s most talented and accomplished footballers who, against all odds, transited to the tough politics of his country.”
Bankole Thompson, Executive Board Member, Center for Racial Justice, Dillard University, USA writes: “From one of the most courageous voices for democracy in modern Africa comes this must-read book about the storied political landscape of Liberia, a nation whose historic founding holds surprising similarities to the United States.”
Dr. Fred Van Der Kraijj, Historian, Researcher says, “Rodney Sieh’s detailed account of George Weah’s rise from school drop-out to internationally acclaimed football star and his impressive journey from the slums of Claratown/Monrovia to the Executive Mansion in Monrovia will thrill both football enthusiasts and political analysts alike. With his inside knowledge of government manipulations, frictions, fights, cheating, coalitions, the country’s football club, and Weah’s own rags-to-riches story, Sieh has created a world-class biographical picture of Liberia’s troubling political transactions and the man at the center of them.”
Uncompromising Muckraker
Rodney Dean Sieh is an award-winning journalist, editor, and publisher of Liberia’s largest independent print and online daily, FrontPageAfrica, a ground-breaking publication that has brought down senior government figures and exposed political corruption.
Jailed twice for publishing dissenting articles about the powerful Liberian government and its Supreme Court, Rodney, a former Correspondent for the BBC, faced final sentencing of 5,000 years in prison in 2013. The ruling sparked an international outcry and prompted support from numerous high-profile journalist-rights organizations, inspiring Sieh’s now-infamous op-ed in “The New York Times” entitled Jailed for Journalism and leading to his eventual release.
Fearless in his quest to speak truth to power and push the bounds of investigative journalism, Rodney is the recipient of multiple journalism and press-freedom awards across the world, including Journalist of the Year. In 2014, he was named one of Reporters Without Borders top 100 “Information Heroes” and is the bestselling author of Journalist on Trial: Fighting Corruption, Media Muzzling and a 5,000-Year Prison Sentence in Liberia.
