Africa Books

Taken to Kenya at age three, in 1905, Beryl Markham was raised on a farm by her father and a much-hated governess - her mother soon re-abandoned pioneer life for England. And while other girls were groomed to be ladies of society, she learned to ride and train horses, played with the Nandi boys living on her father's land and went hunting with their fathers. Barely 19, she became a professional racehorse trainer; at age 24 (1926) her mare Wise Child won the prestigious St. Leger, beating the odds and the favorite, Wrack, likewise initially trained by Beryl but taken from her weeks earlier by an owner distrusting her experience. After marrying and divorcing again wealthy Mansfield Markham, whose last name she kept, she met pioneer aviator Tom Black (later pilot to the Prince of Wales), who awakened her interest in flying and soon became her instructor. Having obtained her B license - "a flyer's Magna Carta" - Markham operated a taxi and cargo service out of Nairobi and worked as a scout for professional hunters like author Karen Blixen's (Isak Dinesen's) (ex-)husband Baron Br&oring;r Blixen. After her return to England, in 1936 she became the first pilot to successfully cross the Atlantic from east to west, against the headwinds. (She didn't reach New York, as planned - technical difficulties forced her plane into a Nova Scotia bog - but her achievement created substantial headlines regardless.) After being lured to Hollywood by a film project involving her flight, and marrying and divorcing again the man who later claimed this book's authorship, writer Raoul Schumacher, Markham ultimately returned to Kenya and to racehorse training. No less than six of her horses won Kenya's East African Derby, making her a local celebrity of considerable note. She died in 1986.

"West With the Night" is a memoir of Markham's life in Kenya until her mid-1930s departure to England. In language rivaling Blixen's in poetry and Hemingway's in power and skill, it chronicles her unconventional upbringing, early 20th century colonial society, a racehorse trainer's anxieties and ambitions, a flyer's freedom and solitude, and those people who meant most to her: her father, her Nandi friends, Tom Black, and some persons also known to readers of Blixen's memoirs: Lord and Lady Delamere, Baron Blixen, and Denys Finch-Hatton, for whose attentions she competed with Blixen (who herself isn't mentioned at all, as Markham isn't mentioned, either, in "Out of Africa").

"There are as many Africas as there are books about Africa," we are introduced to the continent she considered "home:" "Being ... all things to all authors, it follows, I suppose, that Africa must be all things to all readers. ... It is what you will, and it withstands all interpretations." And the people Markham most respected matched this environment in hardiness as much as in diversity and depth: Baron Blixen, "six feet of amiable Swede," whose "appreciation of the melodramatic [was] non-existent," and who was "never significantly silent" and "the toughest, most durable White Hunter ever ... to shoot a charging buffalo between the eyes while debating whether his sundown drink will be gin or whisky." Denys Finch-Hatton, "a great man who never achieved arrogance," whose charm was "of intellect and strength," who "would have greeted doomsday with a wink," could "tread upon inferior men with his tongue," and was "a keystone" in an arch of lives which fell at his premature death, "leaving its lesser stones heaped [and] for a while without design." And Tom Black, Beryl's messenger from Destiny, who taught her that "when you fly ... you feel that everything you see belongs to you [and you're] closer to ... something you've sensed you might be capable of, but never had the courage to imagine," but who summed up the effect of Kenya's growing attraction to amateur hunters (aided not least by his own services) with the simple words "lion, rifles - and stupidity."

Perhaps Markham's most poignant accounts are those of her interactions with the Nandi. For unlike Karen Blixen, who came to Africa as an adult and never entirely abandoned a white colonialist's attitude, Markham's upbringing enabled her to innately understand their world: "He thought war was made of spears and shields and courage, and he brought them all," we learn about young warrior Arab Maina: "But [in World War I] they gave him a gun, so he left the spear and the shield behind and took the courage, and went where they sent him. [When he was killed,] some said it was because he had forsaken his spear." And when her childhood friend Kibii returns to become her servant, now a warrior himself and renamed Arab Ruta, she realizes that what a child doesn't know "of race and colour and class, he learns soon enough as he grows to see each man flipped inexorably into some predestined groove," and while Ruta will still be her friend, "the handclasp will be shorter ... and though the path is for a while the same, he will walk behind me now, when once, in the simplicity of our nonage, we walked together."

Like most memoirs - most notably Hemingway's "Moveable Feast" and Blixen"s "Out of Africa" - "West With the Night" is a selective account; and as in those works, the omissions only enhance its power. Hemingway's much-quoted lavish praise is both deserved and all the more notable as "Papa," otherwise so thrifty in lauding contemporaries, intensely disliked Markham as a person. - Authorship of the book has been called into question by the claims of Markham's ex-husband Raoul Schumacher, and by Errol Trzebinski's biography (which relies substantially on third-party accounts and merely proves that Schumacher had time and opportunity to write the book, not that he actually did). It's a great shame that writing as lasting and beautiful as this should be marred by such a controversy. Frankly, though, I don't hear any voice but Beryl Markham's in this account; both philosophically and stylistically, I have no doubt that this is her story alone. And therefore, ultimately ... "What matter who's speaking?" (Michel Focault, "What is an Author?")

This is the illustrated edition of West With the Night, published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1994. A handsome, quality book with a sewn binding, dustcover, and hardback boards that are quarter-cloth, 3/4's pictorial (clouds.) I think it is pretty! Heavy weight paper with something like over 125 illustrations integrated into the flow of the text.

I've recently read the "autobiography" "West With The Night" for a Hight School history class. While I found Markham's book to be a beautifuly spun story of growing up in colonial Kenya and life in the early 1900s, this book left me with more questions than answers. On digging deeper, I found that this book was written by her third husband, Raoul Schumacher. Also, I found that many interesting and scandalous parts of her life had been omitted from this historical tale. However, these things do not change the fact the "West With the Night" is a completly enrapturing tale of a very strong, determined woman. I only advise that you take this story with a grain of salt; and then go read the book "The lives of Beryl Markham" by Errol Trzebinski to get the real deal.

It is debateable whether or not Beryl's husband helped to write this story. He was a writer and must have inluenced her in some ways. However, there are books other than "The lives of Beryl Markham" that give insight to the depth of his inluences upon her writing and also present Beryl's opinion on this subject. In Beryl's "African Stories" compiled by a woman who interviewed Beryl it becomes clear that Raoul's writing style did not match the writing style of this book. Raoul focused on scandal and tried to write his own story about Beryl in which scandal played a large part to help make the book popular. In Beryl's opinion the scandals of her life were unimportant details. Horses and African life were her truths and the details surrounding these truths were what she wanted to convey to the world. She used artisitc liscence. One surely should be able to to use this skill if one is writing about ones own life. Stories are not required to be as reality shows are today. The book is not titled "West With The Night A True Story". It was not meant to be taken with a grain of salt. It was meant to immerse the reader, take them to a different place if you will and make them feel as though they lived it. Allow the book to be what it is, enjoy the fine writing and let it take you to where you may have never been before. Read further and discover more. It is a facinating mystery touched by so many factors many of which we may never know because the one person who could tell us whether or not she wrote the book is dead and gone.

Beryl Markam's controversial "West with the Night" gives a vivid, personal view of life in colonial Kenya. A geat aviator and race horse trainer, Beryl Markham gives new life to women everywhere.

I think everyone of any ethnic background could appreciate this beautifully illustrated text. It has even given me some historical context for a book I'm writting. I love it.

In Praise of Black Women is one of my alltime favorite books, beautifully illustrated and colorful, it does an excellent job at presenting ancestrial and legendary African women as leaders, smart, beautiful, sexy, brave, talented, spiritual, mystical, five dimensional...Every type is represented, from warrior to diplomat and everyone in between. Included, are the average everyday persons who performed extra-ordinary acts of faith and deeds. Purchasing this book new will set you back a bit, but it is worth every dollar...A home library staple and heirloom

"In Praise of Black Women" is a gorgeously illustrated volume relating the lives of ancient African queens, rulers and warriors from pre-historic Africa through ancient Egypt up to the 19th century. Twenty-eight remarkable women are profiled here, all of whom had a lasting impact on their time. Here you will find Queen Tiye, the consort of Pharaoh Amenhotep III; Makeda, the legendary Queen of Sheba; Nandi, the mother of Shaka Zulu, and a host of other fascinating women. Superbly narrated by Simone Schwarz-Bart in the tradition of the oral historians of Africa, there are also historical sidebars on each page to bring the time and place into fuller perspective. This book is a magnificent tribute to the women of Africa and to all women of the African diaspora.

In Praise of Black Women: Ancient African Queens is an astonishingly rich, gorgeous jewel box of information, artwork and the voices of women who changed the world interwoven with the words of "ordinary" women. This is a mission of true love and commitment--the work that went into it is evident on every page, and from that loving tribute flows the wonder of our Ancient African Queens and their inspring legacies. Everyone who is or knows or loves a Black woman will find this book a very rewarding read.

This is a beautiful book for all generations. The book is broken down into short stories. There is extensive use of pictures and historical diagrams which makes each story interesting for adults and children. This book provides the reader with a true sense of who these women were. It is a wonderful book for all families, especially those with young girls and teenagers. I wish all students and teachers had access to this book. This is not just for the African-American population. American children receive too much of their learning from "acceptable history" books and the movies, both which perpetuate an inaccurate picture of much of the rest of the world. I know this book opened my eyes and expanded my view of history.

The book, In the Time of the Drums, by Kim L. Siegelson, is a story about the relationship between an island-born slave boy named Mentu and his grandmother, Twi, a woman who had grown up in Africa before she was captured and sent away to work on the island where the story takes place on the east coast of America. It is through her stories, secrets, and teachings of the songs played on the drums that Mentu finally understands what it means to be strong in the face of despair.
If I could come up with a word that could describe this book, it would be "descriptive." All of the words seemed to leap out at me with tons of imagery. I could actually see Mentu, Twi, and the island where they lived from my dorm room. The image of the island and its people that Brian Pinkney, the illustrator, drew also matched up perfectly with the life I envisioned Twi and Mentu having, from the look of the island and thatched roof huts to the clothes that they wore and the goat-skin drums that they played. All of these elements contributed greatly to the descriptive nature of this book and made it one that is a must-read for all young readers ages 8 and up.
I also liked the fact that this book focused on the theme of keeping one's heritage and culture alive at all costs. In a society where students of different cultures become "Americanized," it is important for young readers to value the differences they see among themselves along with their similarities. While similarities can bring all types of people together, it is our differences that make each individual unique and important in a multicultural society.

This book is rich in illustration and in story. The book resonates like a powerful drum beat. The author tells a tale that seems passed from generation to generation. This is a great read for Black History Month. This is a book you will read again and again to your children. The suggested age for readers of 4 to 8 is really too limiting. Children of all ages will enjoy and be moved by this book.

Siegelson writes lyrically and gives a lovely sense of Georgia's coastal islands. The mix of history and folk tale presents well to children, and seems to capture their interest and imagination. The book is a pleasure to read aloud and held the attention of both my ten year old and my six year old.

In the Time of the Drums is an excellent story of the Gullah heritage. It tells of a people who have not forgotten. Young Mentu is told of a time by his grandmother Twi, when he will be "strong-strong." Twi, a wise, respected elder of the community, leads her people home. Mentu is "strong-strong" as he passes the heart-felt beats, and stories that can't be forgotten to descendents, and to us.

Siegelson has a mastery of words that is incredible. The rhythm of the words becomes immediately apparent as you read and it is definitely something you'll want to share right away. Brian Pinkey does a wonderful job, as usual, and the lines of his drawings echo the rhythm and lyricism of the story. I think it is interesting and appropriate to the story (you'll understand after you read it) that althought the story is based in historical fact, it is not limited by it. If you are an african-american parent, buy this book. If you are not an african-american parent, buy this book. I will be watching for the next by Kim Siegelson. Signed, a Children's Librarian in Oklahoma.

I don't even know where to begin as it relates to this book. One word would be excellent thought. It provides a clear, concise, well researched, informative (not bias or persuasive) view on Micheal Manley and Claude McKay's ideologies. I think all 'yardies' should read this book. It all honesty it has instilled a foundation for a deep sense of national pride that I didn't really have before. The book also gives an interesting blue print of Third World development and how these great products of our nation (Jamaica) got to the views that they did. It also provides some insight on what the developing world is afraid of- third world cooperation. The short of it, is that I loved the book. I could not put it down once I started reading it.

I found this book to be extremely engaging, WELL-RESEARCHED, creative and generally thought provoking. The author has taken a very original approach by comparing the written works of a Afro-Caribbean poet (who was instrumental in igniting the Harlem Renaissance) with those of Jamaica's most loved Prime Minister Michael Manley. He has compared their writings to extrapolate on their political views on globalization and its impact on peoples of the African Diaspora and the global South. The interspersing of poetic writings with declassified political documents is indeed avant-garde!! It makes the work into one that can be enjoyed by all.

I recommend it highly!!

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (2/07)

"In-Dependence from Bondage" is a compilation of the world views of the well known Poet, Claude McKay, and the world renowned Afro-Caribbean Socialist, Michel Manley. Both men, although of different generations, are known for their dedication to social change as it relates to the exploitation of the peoples of African descent in the Western hemisphere. Claude McKay's poetry was one of the great forces in bringing about what is often called the Negro Literary Renaissance.

Over a period of nearly four centuries approximately 4,000,000 Africans were transported to North America and the Caribbean Islands as the results of slave trading. Scattered, dispersed, and separated from their family and culture, these peoples persevered to maintain their traditions, religion, language, and folklore. Lloyd McCarthy, in this book, focuses primarily on the Jamaican perspective; however, it is relevant to the social, political, and economic conditions everywhere. I found the poetry of Claude McKay thought-provoking and enlightening on the African Diaspora and the plight of these exploited peoples.

McCarthy successfully illustrates the impetus, impact and corrective tactics currently being considered which are central to combating white racism, classicism, and Western imperialism. McCarthy gives the reader a definitive compilation of the writings of Claude McKay and Michael Manley. He has analyzed their works using references from dozens of authors and their interpretations of the ideological clash and policy gaps in African Diaspora relations. His research is well documented with complete and thorough endnotes.

McCarthy also is an Afro-Jamaican, and instills the influence of his personal history and heritage in his writing. He reveals his own empathy for the peasants and the working-class outlook, and the political perspectives that McKay and Manley expressed.

This work is a major contribution to the study of African Diaspora as it relates to globalization, policy planning, and international relations with developing and impoverished nations. McCarthy also presents valuable insight into how literature, biographical narrative, and intellectual history are interconnected with politics. The book is a wake up call to the peoples and nations of the African Diaspora to find collective solutions to survive globalization.

"In-Dependence from Bondage" holds promise of becoming the guidebook or blueprint for the liberation movement and should be read by our Washington politicians as well as all New World Africans.

I recently read somewhere that 2% of the worlds richest population owns over half of the world's wealth. An article on ABC news stated that ""Wealth is heavily concentrated in North America, Europe and high-income Asia-Pacific countries. People in these countries collectively hold almost 90 percent of total world wealth." Yet, globalization is one the rise and is further touted as a means to economic empowerment. "In-Dependence from Bondage" looks at the unconstructive consequences that globalization brings to many in the African Diaspora and the world. This book illustrates how two Jamaican political figures prophetically viewed globalization's impact on developing nations during the 20th century and provides statistical analysis of how this global economic disparity has manifested itself in the quality of life of the peoples of developing nations. Mr. McCarthy defines globalization as the spread of American capitalism and provides extensive evidence as to how the throngs of capitalism (and its undercurrent of Elitism) affect impoverished nations for the benefit of a select few. Where there is a thesis, there must be an antithesis. This book represents a viable alternative view from which we all can learn. BRAVO!!!

"SURVIVAL. LIBERATION. STRUGGLE"! These are not merely fortuitous themes but the vital, mutual, connection in the theses on global capitalism and the crisis of imperialism found in the literary and political legacy of Claude McKay and Michael Manley.

*In-Dependence From Bondage* shows how the artist, McKay, and the politician, Manley, (both international political activists and writers) surveyed World-Development, over the last 500 years. They have observed how imperialist-globalization is still shutting down human liberty, producing backwardness and desperation for the majority of humanity worldwide,in the current epoch, especially in the African Diaspora.

The author demonstrates that both men were driven, like other great historical figures--true internationalists, and so moved (with their art and politics) upon the world-stage because they deeply cared about humanity, as we move in history.

As men, of the Americas, who have witnessed, participated in, and were closely acquainted with key historical figures and great events of the last century, they saw how imperialism and global capitalism have afflicted peoples in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

The author shows that McKay and Manley warned the Lumpen-bourgeoisie of the African Diaspora how a handful of international financial capitalists (through international agencies) were ravaging poor countries, with debt. Thus *In-Dependence From Bondage* points out that the debt burden of the African Diaspora along with that of the Global South is rising, rapidly, and is one explanation for the decline in overall human development since the end of the Cold War.

Unwise borrowing and investments in wrong projects by the lumpen-bourgeois, "Gate Keepers," of the African Diaspora, acting with and for the big predatory lenders in the imperialist countries is one explanation for the current debt burden.

*In-Dependence From Bondage* argues that the historical evidence, since 1948, is readily available to show that the disaster that is called capitalism was not warmly welcomed by the mass of people in the African Diaspora. It was forcibly imposed in many countries through military interventions, political assassinations and destabilization carried out by the agents of Capitalism and imperialism, under the false pretense of fighting "communism" in the Third World.

McCarthy believes that some of the loans, which are now the source of the debt burden in poor countries, may well have been granted to the lumpen-bourgeoisie (including the lumpen-Black-bourgeois), as reward money for their capitulation to imperialist globalization, during and after the Cold War.

According to McCarthy, under such circumstances, morally the devastated ravaged-poor of the African Diaspora should now resist. They must not repay "reward' loans." Let the greedy-opportunists pay! His argument for the case is that, under the warped system of Western political democracy, it is unlikely that the people, who are now being asked to repay such cruel loans, knew anything about the conditions of the agreements or when their corrupt elites entered into negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

*In-Dependence From Bondage* makes the point that, the nationalist elites collaborated with US based international loan sharks, the IMF and World Bank in usurping the democratic rights of the people in the process of borrowing. Thus, they have helped to tighten the noose of capitalist exploitation and imperialism around the neck of the African Diaspora's economy.

McCarthy reiterates that, both the World Bank and the IMF, predatory lenders, are instruments of imperialism for the big financial capitalist of the North. Any promise of a "debt relief" is not trustworthy because it is a "gift horse" that must be examined closely. The "benevolent" bearer of "debt reliefs are the wolves of capitalism making sure that the political environment in the black Diaspora remains welcoming to further exploitation. p.154

Although the work is a non-fiction on the subject, capitalism/imperialism, McCarthy makes the book light, lively and entertaining by presenting and interpreting some of McKay's rare poetry and fictional writings.

In contrast, he also examines Manley's relations with the infamous Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, but STRANGELY, he suggested that Kissinger may have been more empathetic to Michael Manley and Jamaica during the 1970s than they ever realized. Other elements in the US administration, advocating for the international bauxite giants, instead, were Manley's main antagonists.

With this said, in the worldviews of McKay and Manley, the survival and liberation of humanity and the African Diaspora, from under the heel of imperialist-globalization demands "STRUGGLE... CONTINUOUS STRUGGLE!" says McCarthy.

This interesting, fast moving, easy to read book of only 192 pages, should be read by students, artist, politicians and general readers with an interest in history, politics, literature, and the fate of humanity!

See also:

Life And Debt

"Into Africa" is a wonderful, almost breathless, whirlwind tour of the African continent. The travels described in the book may have begun as a search for what remains of the ancient empires that once existed, but became as much a discovery of what Africa is today, and what it will become.

Authors Marq De Villiers and Sheila Hirtle divide the book (and the continent) into nine sections, each with its own distinct character and history. Part one looks at southeast Africa, highlights of which include a visit to the impressive stone ruins of Great Zimbabwe, ruins which produce a sound when one's ear is pressed against them, the source unknown. We are introduced to the Makuni or the "Living Stones" of Zambia, named not after the famous explorer and missionary but rather for the fact that a chief begins his duties by swallowing a small stone, which lodges in his gut and becomes an embodiment of his people. This region is also home to the colorful Maasai warriors, often noted by tourists in colorful red garb (so that people will want to photograph them), nomadic pastoralists that have been pushed out of the increasingly artificial wildlife sanctuaries of Ngorongoro and the Serengeti despite having lived there for many hundreds of years.

Part two looks at the east coast of Africa, the lands of the Swahili speakers. Fabled east Africa, long a tropical coast skirted by (increasingly threatened) coral reefs and (disappearing) dhows, one can still find along it Lamu, near the Somali border, still an island of coral brick buildings and mosques dating back to the 14 century. Even more famous is exotic Zanzibar, fabled island known to the ancients and part of Tanzania in name only, once a famous source of spices.

The third section looks at southern Africa, a land largely shaped by the Zulus and the migrations they caused in the 1800s thanks to the tyrant Shaka Zulu. We read about mountainous Lesotho, well known for its conical hats, vigorous ponies, and blankets (called Victorians), a distinct national character that is only 150 years old, invented by arguably Africa's wiliest diplomat, Moshoeshoe the Great; and Swaziland, one of the last of the traditional African monarchies, famous for the Umhlanga or Reed Dance, where barely clad young maidens symbolically offer themselves to the king as brides. The enigmatic San or Bushmen of the Kalahari also receive attention.

Part four looks at the ancient rain forest lands of the Kongo, long a source of slaves for the world and even well into the 20th century under the yoke of forced labor by France (in the Congo) and Belgium (in Zaire). It is a troubled region, but one of great contrasts; separated by the Stanley Pool of the mighty Congo River are two very different capital cities; Brazzaville of Congo the authors describe a sleepy and pleasant town, in vivid contrast to Kinshasa, capital of Zaire, a much larger, angrier, and dangerous city. Some of the most interesting passages in the book are in this section, particularly of his travels up the Congo River, in war torn Angola, and among the pygmies of Cameroon.

The fifth section looks at the Gulf of Guinea, long fabled as the Gold Coast and dominated by the fierce Ashanti, bold enough to challenge the British Empire and almost win. Of particular interest are violent and overpopulated Nigeria; the country of Benin (growing more into a model of how Africa could be), whose ancient kingdom of Dahomey was once noted for "Amazon" warriors; Togo, where vodun (the African incarnation of Haitian voodoo) still reigns; Ghana, perhaps the most "Christian" of the west African nations and a robust democracy; and Liberia and Sierra Leone, whose prospects are gloomy indeed.

Section six was quite interesting, examining the peoples and old empires of the Sahel, the grasslands bordering the southern Sahara, as well as the Sahara itself. Once dominated by a series of mighty empires, first Ghana for over 800 years, then Mali, the greatest perhaps of Sub-Saharan African empires, then nearly 400 years later the Songhai. Fabled Timbuktu is covered in this section, the desert city a center of Islamic learning from the 14th century on. The authors' coverage of Mali is especially interesting, notable for Mansa Musa, an African king so extravagantly wealthy he was well known in 14th century Europe after his pilgrimage to Mecca, and his predecessor, Abu Bakari II, the Voyager King, who actually sought to reach lands he believed to exist on the other side of the Atlantic, disappearing from history when he accompanied personally 2000 vessels for a perilous journey into the unknown. Also fascinating was coverage of the Tuareg or "Blue Men" of the Sahara, a fair-skinned desert nomad group where the men go veiled, not the women, and the Dogon tribe, cliff-dwellers in southern Mali that are neither Christian nor Muslim but have instead their own complex religion.

The later sections of the book are somewhat shorter, but no less interesting. Part seven looks at the Maghreb and the Barbary Coast of North Africa, an area once controlled by the now extinct Carthage, the land of the Berbers, the Bedouin, and the Moors, once dominated by the Almoravid and the Almohad civilizations, in part infused from the Andalucian culture of Islamic Spain. Part eight devotes some time to Egypt, which the authors maintain it is definitively a part of African civilization, and Ethiopia, a fascinating land of rock-hewn churches and according to some the home of the Ark of the Covenant, and once dominated by the powerful Axumite Empire. The book closes with the Great Rift, believed by paleontologists to be the true cradle of mankind, home to the enigmatic Chwezi or BaChwezi empire, the fabled Mountains of the Moon, and the horror that was Idi Amin in Uganda and is the conflict between the Tutsi and the Hutu in Rwanda and Burundi.

A fantastic book!

This book was extremely entertaining and interesting and most importantly stimulated interest in me for learning more about many of the regions and peoples described. Much in the work, however, seemed a bit over-romanticized. Nevertheless, I highly recommend the book: it was one of the best I read last year. Excellent introduction to the history and current situations in Africa (a little out of date for Zaire, of course)

The major highlight of this book is that it mentions every country on the continent; many books which view Africa as a whole tend to stick with maybe a dozen of the 45 countries that make up Africa, but the authors have touched, albeit briefly, along all modern African states, and attempt to bring them together as a whole, and make cohesive conclusions about the continent. The continent - a real study of the continent in all of its incarnations. As an overview of the continent, as a pair of authors taking the long view, and reaching unique and enlightening conclusions, there is no better book.

As a seasoned traveller to Africa (on bicycle and 4wd). I was relieved to find this book both informative and enlightening in its excellent balance of past and present times. The lighthearted approach mingled with the odd tribal poem and sometimes witty dialogue will appeal to those for have an affinity for Africa and wish to delve a little deeper. My only real criticism is that the book doesn't delve deep enough - but should it have, then the lighthearted feel would be lost. The style of writing is a joy considering the breadth of Africa and to have the authors own past thrown in at times, reaqlly does purvue a sense of a 'personal account' of this wondrous continent. If you want to feel Africa in your heart and its culture in veins without the security blanket of a tour operator and a 5* hotel this is the book you have been waiting for!

I really enjoyed this book because it was well written history of the African people. The man who wrote this book is an exceptional writter for National Geographic. He seems to have a very good perpective upon the history of the African people. The other great thing is he provides a source for the Pharoah Khufu being an African person. He shows the deepest respect to African people and their culture. He is one of the only white writters on Africa that seem to do this. We have other people like J PHilipe Rushton,John R Baker,and the people behind the bell cruve seem to be on a cultural campain to posion the masses.
I wish however the writter would have went more indepth into African spirtuality. He does talk about the Mountains of the Moons being the source of the acient Egyptains.

This is a wonderful book!! Most of us will never have the opportunity to travel the world. We will be forced by circumstance to travel via armchair from home. My advice is to let Alistair Caldicott take you to glamorous, exotic and exciting destinations and leave him to deal with the disturbing, uncomfortable and dangerous because he copes so well and lives to tell us all about it. This book is not a travel guide. It's more personal than that, chatty and well written, and an all around good read in every way.
His journey begins in India. Through mind sapping heat, he shares every step with his readers: grand palaces, staggering poverty, beautiful people and places, and sickening squallor. We experience the river Ganges, a holy river so polluted that oxygen can no longer live in it. He hikes the Himalayas while fighting bouts of altitude sickness and diarrhea, introduces us to Sherpa strongholds and yak caravans in Nepal and Tibet, and climbs pristine blue glaciers. And just when you think it could not possibly get more exciting, he heads for Australia via Bangkok and Singapore.
I've always been curious about Australia. He soaks it all in like a sponge and takes his readers with him. From one end of Australia to another, he travels dusty outback roads, gapes in awe at ancient cliffs and Aboriginal rock paintings. We feel the blistering heat and the incessant swarms of flies that buzz at every human orifice demanding entry. And we share his wonder at sleeping under night time skies.
New Zealand is a land of charming contrasts: tropical vegetation, volcanoes, boiling mud pools and geysers, mist shrouded craters, ancient water caves, glaciers, fjords, and an unexpectedly mild climate.
Africa is a beautifully diverse continent in ways most of us will never see. Caldicott describes it as a raw, challenging, enthralling, rewarding continent, then sets out to show us exactly what he means by that statement. From the southernmost tip of Africa he treks, sometimes painfully, to his final destination, Mt. Kilimanjaro. Along the way we visit rubbish infested cities in decline, learn about apartheid and other political injustices, and walk pristine beaches. We accompany the author as he snorkels with whale sharks in the Indian Ocean and hikes the Khyber pass. He introduces us to oasis pools in the world's oldest desert and hidden gems not yet discovered by tourists. We rough camp in the bush surrounded by wild animals, go white water rafting on the Zambize River, and suffer with the author through a frightening bout of malaria. And finally we struggle with him through the crowning achievement of his travels -- climbing Kilimanjaro.
This is an exhilarating book, a thoroughly satisfying read from beginning to end. If you are at all curious about the world and its wonders, I suggest you buy this book then lean back and let Mr. Caldicott take you on a journey of the mind. Allow him to stimulate your senses through his words.

Laurel Johnson
Mid-West Book Review, US

I would like to recommend this book to anyone who aspires to travel as well as those who already have. And also for those who just like to sit back and read about faraway palces in other parts of the world!
Take an armchair journey around the world with this engrossing real life adventure. Experience unusual people, places and incidents. We learn about some very well known palces, but it is also the less well-known places which prove just as riveting.
During his long journeys we alternated between the unintentional and the unpredictable, as he both enjoys and endures, but does so in an engaging and articulate manner. His powers of observation are sharp and it is during the moments of difficulty when the entertainment is best.
Very enjoyable and out of the ordinary at times.

With a refreshingly crisp turn of phrase, admirable candour and disarming self-depreciation, this book is absorbing. There is little time for slushy banalities or bland, weary cliches, but there is plenty of time for the unleashing of an excellent sense of humour, which cares little for offending people who deserve to be offended, while warming to those who are genuinely hospitable. No patronising smugness or condescension in the narration - just honest, insightful observation from someone who somehow tends to do things the hard way.
And the author has plenty of unusually entertaining experiences along the way - the incident of him getting whacked by a tree branch on the top of a bus in Nepal had me in stitches. Just when you think his last close shave will not be surpassed, another one comes along, but he takes it all in his stride. There's been a lot of travel books on the market in recent years, but the style of this book carves its own niche and I look forward to his next one.
I can also recommend his website, which is worth checking out -some fabulous photos from all over the world - www.alitravelstheworld.com

This really is quite an adventure - more entertaining travel in one trip than most would be lucky to achieve in a lifetime. An astonishing array of diverse experiences in the sorts of places we all dream about going to; several major tests of character and a wonderfully self-depreciating sense of humour and cutting powers of observation which endear him to the reader. More boldly daring than some other high profile travel writers and grittily realistic
He has a useful knack of sizeing up both people and situations, being cuttingly savage of those who irritate and annoy, yet not shy to lavish praise for those who merit it.
There is ample scope for things to go wrong and exposure to danger, which is all part of the fun. In fact most of the fun (for the reader) derives from the things which go wrong.

If you cannot resist the lure of exotic daydreaming and faraway escapism then this book is for you. But this is far removed from the superficial world of 5 star hotels and fly-by-night, safe and sanitised tourism.
An incredibly captivating and absorbing journey told with gripping roller coaster momentum, which barely lapses. Compelling reading if the word `travel' stirs aspirations of excitement and adventure in you. Many twists and turns vividly described. Highs and lows, pleasures and pain all graphically laid down with endearing honesty.
Insightfully observant, hilariously dry humoured and refreshingly descriptive, his style seems like Bill Bryson meets Michael Palin, but much more adventurous and daring. The author somehow always finds challenges in front of him, be they from the natural world or in the form of other human beings, but he rises to them admirably. How he keeps his marvellous sense of humour in tact at times I do not know. Yet as well as being entertained by some of the testing situations he finds himself in, you are simultaneously likely to learn something as well. An enjoyable read.

I'm an American doctor working in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. I can attest to the substance of much of the material presented in this book and the importance of its message, specifically that norms of sexual behavior in this culture need to be discussed and changed for prevention efforts to begin to be effective. As the author aptly discusses, numerous aid organizations, flush with good intentions and funds, seem to operate on the periphery of this central issue. One of the most disturbing lessons of my time in the midst of this horrible tragedy is the realization that the stigma attached to this disease in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa remains so severe that many people prefer to die than to find out that they have AIDS, a point the author seems to get across through with many informative anecdotes. The fundamental thesis is that we need to begin to engage the leaders within these societies at a fundamental cultural level regarding relationships and sexual behavior. No small task. I would highly recommend this book as the first read for someone trying to understand why AIDS is so unbelievably prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa. As of today, for every person we enroll in antiretroviral treatment in rural KwaZulu-Natal, five will be newly infected. It's very depressing to see so many people dying from a preventable disease--1,000 people die of it every day in South Africa alone.

The most important book published on AIDS in a long time, and one of the most important books of the year. If you liked Rachel Carson's Silent Spring or And The Band Played On, you will love this book. It is readable, impassioned and brilliant, and despite its savage denunciation of the failures of the West to deal with the AIDS crisis, it is an essentially optimistic work. Publishers Weekly in a starred review said it will save lives, and that is not hyperbole. I urge anyone who is interested in the greatest medical crisis of our time; anyone who is interested in Africa; anyone who is outraged by the failure of the UN, the WHO and the Bush administration to deal with this tragedy, to buy this book and give it to your friends. It is the kind of book that will change peoples' minds and will move continents. It will be read for years to come...

We have been overwhelmed by bad information about what causes AIDS to be so much more prevalent in the eastern and southern parts of Africa than elsewhere in the world. Even though more money than ever is being directed to stopping this epidemic, that money is hardly ever being spent for a helpful purpose. Helen Epstein carefully describes what she learned on site in Africa about what the primary problems really are and how best to deal with those problems . . . rather than the problems that politicians and NGOs want to address. Millions of lives are at stake: Please read what Ms. Epstein has to say and share what you learn with others.

So what's different about people in eastern and southern Africa that makes AIDS so much larger a risk there?

1. Men are much less likely to be circumcised. Circumcion cuts infection risk dramatically.

2. Although the people in that part of the world have no more (and often fewer) sexual partners over a life time, these people are more likely to be active with more than one sexual partner at a time. That habit causes those who become infected to spread the disease much faster and further.

What can be done?

Uganda (once the area most affected by AIDS) provides the answer: Make sure everyone knows that AIDS risk is there for everyone who is a drug user and shares needles, or has sex with anyone who has more than one partner without using a condom. The public in general, and politicians as well, like to paint AIDS as being a problem limited to homosexuals, sex workers, and promiscuous people. But in places like eastern and southern Africa, those who monogamous can be almost equally at risk. In fact, Uganda doesn't use these good policies any more ("No Grazing") because fighting AIDS has gone from being a local activity to being a national policy.

Ms. Epstein reports in detail how local initiatives to get the correct information out can make a big difference (saving an estimated one million lives in Uganda). National and international initiatives seem to waste almost all of the money (as she points out in several examples).

By not paying attention to what works and what doesn't, country leaders and international NGO leaders run the risk of making everyone feel like everything is being done . . . when the wrong things are being done. As a result, millions will die.

It's a sad story of how everyone wants to help, but they see the problem as being like the nail in the eye of a carpenter. You hit the nail to solve the problem. Drug companies want to develop vaccines. Condom makers want to sell condoms. Churches want to preach sexual abstinence. Politicians want to ignore the frequency of rape, casual sex, and cheating among married people. Individuals want to believe they are safe because they know the people they have sex with. But most of these nails don't make much difference.

Let's start hitting the right nail!

How rare it is to come upon an author like Helen Epstein. She not only knows her subject, with its numberless scientific and political implications; she also writes about it in a way that makes a common reader want to know more and more. She educates, she invigorates, she breaks our hearts. This is a vital and important book. -- Ben Sonnenberg, New York City

"As a woman living with HIV," says Beatrice Were of Uganda, "I am often asked whether there will ever be a cure for HIV/AIDS, and my answer is that there is already a cure. It lies in the strength of women, families and communities who support and empower each other to break the silence around AIDS and take control of their sexual lives." With a vaccine against HIV far off in the distant future (if at all), and with treatment of AIDS in the two-thirds world difficult, expensive, and limited in effect, the name of the game in HIV-AIDS is prevention. But in places like Africa, which is the focus of Helen Epstein's book, prevention is not as simple as it sounds. As she notes in her appendix, measles, syphilis, tuberculosis, and other entirely preventable diseases still kill millions of people even though they can be treated for pennies.

Why has HIV-AIDS ravaged eastern and southern Africa like no place on earth? "In 2005," she writes, "roughly 40 percent of all those infected with HIV lived in just eleven countries in this region-- home to less than 3 percent of the world's population." In some of these countries the infection rates have hit 30 percent, decimating the general population, while in the west, for example, rates hover at about 1% and are generally limited to specific demographics like gay men, intravenous drug users, and commercial sex workers." Theories abound about this discrepancy, but Epstein argues a narrow point, that Africa's problem is not profound promiscuity, or even the normal culprits of high risk groups like prostitutes or truck drivers, but instead a social phenomenon of "concurrent partners." That is, Africans do not have more sexual partners than in other places in the world, and nowhere near as many as gay men among whom infection rates are exponentially lower; but they do have a small number of sexual partners concurrently, at the same time, rather than one at a time or sequentially. This has set the virus loose among the general population like a runaway train.

And why has prevention been so elusive? Epstein appeals to what she calls the comprehensive "social ecology" of denial, silence, shame, adverse gender roles, and stigma about HIV-AIDS. Western-initiated and donor-funded programs will always be less successful than listening to Africans themselves and their own suggestions about how to address the problem. Uganda, of course, has been the amazing success story in this regard, and the subject of bitter debates about why. In 1989 Uganda had one of the highest infection rates in the world, but from about 1992-2002 the infection rate dropped by two-thirds. The key to the success, argues Epstein, was not in the billions of dollars from the west, but from the "collective efficacy" of a "shared calamity," by people helping each other and talking openly about the scourge. In particular, "partner reduction," she says, and not the much vaunted condom use, helped Ugandans to address the cultural phenomenon of concurrent partners. Partner reduction, as one worker described it, is thus the "neglected middle child of the ABC approach" of abstinence, fidelity ("be faithful"), and condoms. Zero Grazing, as Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni called for, is thus the silent cure already available, however valuable other prescriptions.

Epstein, a molecular biologist who has written widely on public health issues, combines rigorous science and the anecdotal evidence of substantial field research. She's clearly as comfortable with and interested in meeting with a dozen African widows under a mango tree as she is in the latest results of a demographic study. Her book has received strong reviews in the New York Times and the New York Review of Books (where her mother was a co-editor before she died), and also a rebuttal of sorts on the home page of UNAIDS that was provoked by her somewhat conspiratorial stance toward research that she argues they ignored because it didn't fit their partisan ideology.

I received the book and did not put it down until I had finished it. I cried through most of it. I was angry, sad, frustrated, enlightened... but mostly I was motivated. It is absolutely not okay with me and I implore everyone who has read this book to purchase more copies and give them to their friends, business associates, etc. This is definitely one of the most powerful books I have ever read!! It grabs you by the heart and it does not let go.

Maxwell has written a compelling read about the plight of the victims of the AIDS pandemic in sub-Sahara Africa. The story of how God wrenched her heart away from her comfortable existance, and called her to serve the orphans and poor is an extraordinary tale of God's Call on a life and a respopnse of Obedience. This book begs to be read in a single setting, and yet pondered at great length over time!

You cannot read this without gaining enlightenment to the plight of the African continent and those who inhabit it. But beware - it will challenge you in ways that might just lead you to ponder the question - "Am I making enough of a difference with my life?"

"Isn't it cool"... That's what Janine's son Spencer said to her when she didn't have all the answers. "Isn't it cool that GOD knows and we don't have to." The faith of a child humbles all of us.
Janine and Ian Maxwell are THE story. The one of transformation in Christ. The struggles, the sacrifice, the obedience and stewardship. The faith of letting go and answering a call to serve, to become Christ-like.
From a life of luxury in Canada to slums in Africa. Janine doesn't do things 1/2 way. Her transparency is much appreciated in sharing her personal emotional struggles.
I recommend this book to every breathing soul alive today. If it doesn't move you in the very core of your being, check your pulse.
Not everyone can do as much as Heart for Africa is doing, but as Janine pointed out in a slideshow I saw, while in Swaziland on one of these missions, the power of one to change the course of a nation has been demonstrated on more than one occasion and though you can't out give GOD, it's sure fun trying.
This book is well written. It is an account of life changing events in the course of Janine and her family's plight. You will laugh and you will cry.
I pray though, that if you dare to turn it's pages and find the HOPE that is there, that you have the courage to act on the opportunity that GOD through Janine present you with. Go to [...] NOW !
"This is a test, do not fail." That's what GOD told me. I responded Janine responded. Will you respond? I promise you, life will NEVER be the same. You will say, "It's not OK with me!"

I received this book on Christmas morning and it changed my life. God is BIG.

A very inspiring story that left me with only one answer, it's not ok with me either. We see so many stories of actors, rock stars, billionaires, and politicians working in Africa. But Janine tells a story that should inspire each one of us to act. Normal people like you and me, teachers, grocery store clerks, stay at home moms, or college students. We may not all have the public's attention or millions of dollars, but we all have a skill to offer even if it is just love. Don't read this book unless you are prepared to honestly answer the question "Is it OK with you?" and then act on that answer.

My 2/3 year olds can count now thanks to this book. They ALSO love the baseball song that is at the end of the book.

As a media specialist who has worked with K-5th graders for years, I have a really good sense of which books are keepers and which books are crap. I've used this book for years as a read-aloud during baseball season, tied in with "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "Casey at the Bat." My younger students love the humor in this book. They really "get" it. I don't like to re-read books over year after year because there are so many good books kids ought to hear, but I do give in to repeated requests for this one because my kids look forward to it so much.

We're always trying to buy another decent copy to add to the shelves for our students, but it's getting tougher to find. I'm mystified by why publishers and booksellers discontinue good, fun books like this--while continuing to give prime shelf space to inane books like "Walter the Farting Dog."

If you are lucky enough to find a nice copy of this book, buy it! Added bonus: the music and the lyrics are in the book for the original song. You'd really hit jackpot if you could find both the book and the Tom Paxton recording of the song.

I fell in love with this book when I stumbled across it in a bookstore, and had to buy it "for my daughter." Luckily, she LOVES it (she's almost 3), too!

The other reviews give a good summary of the plot, so I'll just add that I've found this book to be a good conversation-starter about all kinds of topics, ranging from winning and losing, giving your best effort, not giving up, baseball rules, different kinds of monkeys...all kinds of things, and it changes over time.

All in all, it's been a very rewarding and refreshing book that I don't mind reading over and over, and my daughter loves coming back to.

A delightful baseball book about trying hard and overcoming obstacles. The slow, fat hippos put their patience and weight behind a baseball game and beat the monkeys in this jungle game. Enjoyed by my 10 month old son, who comes running whenever I read a passage from the book...whacka, whacka hoo boys - monkey, monkey, monkey,

This second of the Paxton--Schmidt combo (Going to the Zoo was the first) was a real winner in our family! The lush illustrations hilariosly depict the underdog hippos in a valiant fight to the finish. With a pathos that made my kids as well as myself cheer out loud at the ending, Jungle Baseball hits a home run--we loved this book!!

I usually shy away from POD or self-published books, but this novel shone with refreshing, gritty honesty and a thoughtful treatment of real life issues. Though the story line of a minister's wife (herione Katie Means) becoming a burglar to save a school for children with autism screams unbelievable, I couldn't argue with the author's careful characterization of the protagonist. Cher Smith's easy writing style and snappy dialogue had me sailing through the book in no time.

For those who normally read "Christian" or biblical worldview fiction, you may find some content offensive. Or, this may just be the kick in the pants you need. For those who normally read general or ABA fiction, welcome to a well-written yet convicting story about people just like you and me, trying to find our places in the world.

Bravo.

The book is outstanding! It's a fast read with so much thought, you'll want to read it twice. It talks of life, love, sacrifice, sex, nudity, God, the Church, lying, stealing, and learning to be honest with yourself (& with God). I appreciate how it keeps your interest the entire book. This book would be a great movie.

A quick and entertaining read. Katie Means is the perfect character to fall in love with. The reader will feel her pain, anxiety, and pleasure at each and every moment.

The author has an amazing knack for telling a story and utilizing characterization.

Especially recommended for all those stuffy, staunch, over-conservative Christians who think if you follow God perfectly, nothing bad will ever happen to you. Think again!! Bad things happen to everyone, and this book shows how one woman overcomes that in her own way and mends her relationship with God.

Justified Means is the story of a woman dealing with a disabled child. It's also the story of a pastor's wife who steals. Those contradictories make for a very enjoyable read. Her honesty about being angry at God is refreshing, especially for those who are more used to black-and-white characterizations of churchgoers.

It's about time a writer used her wit, intelligence, and craft to create a delightful and meaningful novel. "Justified Means" is one of those novels that has you crying one minute and then laughing the next. I highly recommend this for anyone who's tired of the trite, silly chick-lit that's out there. I promise you will not be disappointed. (Also, if you are lucky enough to find a copy, check out Cher Smith's other novel, "The Falcon and the Serpant." Another great read!)