Luminous Traitor

September 15, 2018
The early twentieth century finds Roger Casement serving as the British consul in the Congo and subsequently in South America, in Putumayo, then a region between Colombia and Peru. In both places, he is a fierce advocate for the indigenous people, who are horribly exploited by Europeans. An Irishman, Casement sees an analogy in England's treatment of Ireland and dreams of a united, independent country. When WWI arrives, he believes that an alliance with Germany might result in his dream coming true. Unfortunately, he commits treason when he travels to Germany to effect his hope and is brought to trial. Earlier in the book, Duberman established that Casement was a homosexual who foolishly kept a diary recording his sexual encounters. Sadly, the diaries were found and used against him in court, with tragic results. Duberman calls his book a biographical novel, though it is more biography of the real-life Casement than novel. But, in either case, it is a painstaking, sympathetic portrait of a celebrated humanitarian. The result is both a political history and also an examination of the history of homosexuality. It is valuable on both counts.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)