Nicaragua At the Foot of the Volcano

Since the end of the Sandinista revolution, Nicaragua has ceased to make the headlines of world news. But with the construction of a shipping route connecting the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean underway, its chances may be turning.

At the Foot of the Volcano is a rare portrait of Nicaragua today. During the two years he spent living there, Maarten Roest travelled throughout 'the country of lakes and volcanoes', even experiencing the temptations of the 'other', Caribbean Nicaragua and literally putting on gloves in the shadowy world of Nicaraguan boxing. Uncompromisingly yet full of empathy, he describes a society still grappling with the harsh realities of life after civil war. "Our country has all too often been used like a whore," says a one-time Sandinista.

A must read for anyone visiting Nicaragua for the first time and for revolutionary nostalgics alike.