Nigeria, Jan. 15 -- Frederick Forsyth's account of the Nigerian Civil War, mainly from the Biafran lens, is perhaps one of the most riveting you would find. Yet, it is remarkably deficient in its one-sidedness, for which the author made no pretences or apologies.

As Nigeria marks the 60th anniversary of the beginning of events that changed the country forever this week, I reread, not Forsyth's The Biafra Story, but John de St. Jorre's The Brothers' War: Biafra and Nigeria, a book that contains some of the most intimate accounts of January 15, 1966, highlighting the tragedy of elite failure.

The Day Before

People often talk about 'The Day After,' but 'The Day Before' sets the stage. It is quite remarkable how 'The Day Before' can app...