Africa Books

Planting the trees of Kenya is a keeper for all teachers k-12. every year we can remind our studnets of their value in this world by reading this book. science teachers could really take off in this book getting students to realize not only their part in a "global" world but what they can imagine for their small part of it. reading, social studies, world studies, economics classes could utilize this book all the way through high school. resources are listed. young girls and young women can see that there are unlimited callings and that they can make a difference, but this book is not just for girls it is a story that can inspire both young men and women. when i read this to my 7th graders one student asked, "How she do that?" good start for an essay or reseach paper, don't you think?????
acott
west virginia

Nivola, Claire A. Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2008.

This beautiful story of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya launched by Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai details how she grew up appreciating nature and its bounty, attended college in America and studied biology, and then returned to her homeland only to find that new farming practices threatened the health and well-being of her fellow citizens. Although, the people were understandably inclined to blame the government for their deteriorating situation, Wangari encouraged the women to instead plant trees: to gather seeds, dig for water, and nurture seedlings. "All this was heavy work, but the women felt proud. Slowly, all around them, they could begin to see the fruit of the work of their hands. The woods were growing up again." Wangari "taught the children how to make their own nurseries. She gave seedling to inmates of prisons and even to soldiers." Since Wangari began in 1977, over "thirty million trees have been planted in Kenya" - an impressive feat. Lovely watercolor paintings illustrate this simple inspiring story: village scenes show women and children listening to Wangari explain her proposal, and an awesome double-spread shows a line of people marching in an endless line, carrying seedlings and tools for planting. This wonderful picture book evocatively spreads an important environmental message

"The farms of Ohio had been replaced by shopping malls And muzak filled the air from Seneca to Cuyahoga Falls." -- The Pretenders, "My City was Gone"

"As Wangari Maathai tells it, when she was growing up on a farm in the hills of central Kenya, the earth was clothed in its dress of green.
"Fig trees, olive trees, crotons, and flame trees covered the land, and fish filled the pure waters of the streams.
"The fig tree was sacred then, and Wangari knew not to disturb it, not even to carry its fallen branches home for firewood. In the stream near her homestead where she went to collect water for her mother, she played with glistening frogs' eggs, trying to gather them like beads into necklaces, though they slipped through her fingers back into clear water."

But in the early 1960s Wangari Maathai left Kenya for five years in order to attend college in Kansas. It was during that time that Kenya gained independence from Britain. And in the manner with which Claire Nivola tells and illustrates the story, Wangari's return to Kenya reminds me of the old Pretenders' song. For there had been numerous and radical changes in the landscape of Kenya during Wangari's absence:

"Wangari found the fig tree cut down, the little stream dried up, and no traces of frogs, tadpoles, or the silvery beads of eggs...Wangari noticed that the people no longer grew what they ate but bought food from stores. The store food was expensive, and the little they could afford was not as good for them as what they had grown themselves, so that children, even grownups, were weaker and often sickly."

Meanwhile, the cutting of the remaining forests for wood to burn as fuel led to widespread erosion and the degradation of streams and rivers.

And so it was that Wangari Maathai came up with her "simple and big idea" of getting tens, then hundreds, then thousands of Kenyans to grow and plant trees. Her idea evolved into the Greenbelt Movement and, in the long run, led to her winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.

Claire Nivola's watercolor paintings climax with a two page spread in which an endless stream of Kenyans carrying seedlings are seen traversing the mountains to a hillside where the forest is being restored meter by meter.

The story is followed by an extensive Author's Note which includes information about Wangari putting her body on the line in recent years to fight ill-conceived government schemes.

At a time when I am so often distraught due to the seemingly inevitable deterioration of the planet I am leaving my children, it is inspiring to read a book that so well illustrates how one person's singular vision, determination, and leadership can radically (and literally) transform the landscape.

Normally books on African predators are full of pictures with little text or the reverse. This book contains an excellent balance of both, wonderful photographs illustrating a very interestingly written text. I was very struck with the quality of the writing and how easy it was to navigate the book.
I was also pleased that the author is so knowledgeable about the habits of these animals, that he was able to debunk some of the more popular myths about the species.
The photography was first rate.... I was extermely pleased with my acquisition.

I originally purchased this book after skimming it in a store (the pictures sold me). However, after reading it I think it's likely one of the best books out there about African predators and would be really useful if one is planning a safari in Africa. The book is geared towards someone that is going on safari as it covers many aspects of the animal; all of which help to give the observer a better understanding of what they are seeing. Despite this leaning towards future observers the book would be interesting to anyone that is fascinated by the animals featured in it (leopards, cheetahs, lions, hyenas, and crocodiles). If you are like me and watch every show on TV about African predators (that was made within the last 7 years) then the book probably does not contain much that you have not heard before, but if you only have seen a few shows or done a little bit of reading then the book will contain some new information. If you are an African predator junkie then the pictures alone will make the purchase worth it. I also have to mention how well the book is organized and written. It's starts off with a typical day/s for the animal then goes into some of the biology and anatomy and then goes into behavior of the animal; all of which is very useful in understanding the animal and even more so if you are going to observe the animal in the wild. Also, in the reading useful tips are made about how to find and identify the predators. I only have two complaints. First, there is nothing about the African wild dog. I am assuming that this is due to their rarity and most people do not encounter them on safari. Second, I would like the book to have been longer (it's about 205 pages), but being realistic the book is a great deal (I would have easily paid over $40 for it) and if it wasn't such a good book 200 pages would have been way more than enough.

Overall, I don't think National Geographic could have done a better job. If you want an informative book that is realistic and contains some great realistic photos get this book. If you don't care about the reading and you want a book that just has pictures of the major African animals then consider "On This Earth: Photographs from East Africa" by Nick Brandt (I've looked at and liked both but bought "Predator....").

A great book for all to read who have either been or considering doing a safari in Africa.
I have made 2 trips to Africa, 8 weeks each time and found this book informative, you learn things you never actually stopped to notice or even think about!
Enjoy the read!

Garry Essendine, the hero of PRESENT LAUGHTER, is almost transparently Coward's idea of himself as the complete theater man whose life depends, in a odd twist of dependency itself, on the loyalty and cooperation of a vast staff of employees, most of whom know better than he what he is like and what he needs to go on. These include Monica Reed, his beautiful, devoted secretary who sees right through him llike Bette Davis seeing through Sheridan Whiteside in THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER. Then there is Liz, Garry's wife who left him but never managed to divorce him, which allows him to play loose with all the young ladies who have fallen for their aging matinee idol.

In Coward's case, the reason he needed a bulwark to fend off young female admirers is because he was gay, and in PRESENT LAUGHTER, the characterization of the young pretentious playwright Ronald Maule, who becomes a slave to garry Essendine through a bit of ill-advised personal contact, is surprisingly frank for its day (wartime UK). The whole play is filled with Coward's trademark dialogue, as Garry is constantly false and hilariously hysterical, while all the other characters continually deflate him with their loving barbs. If it is not Coward's best play, then I don't know what is.

Another winner from the folks at L.A. Theatre Works who bring together all-star casts to brilliantly perform plays from all genres. You can hear the actors having fun with the material.

A fast-paced and witty bedroom farce of the 1930s, Present Laughter was written by Coward as a vehicle in which he himself planned to star, and it may well reflect some of the less attractive aspects of his own life. The play concerns a well-known, 40-ish actor, Gary Essendine, who is about to set off for a series of performances in Africa. Essendine enjoys all the perks of stardom, including women who can't resist him, fawning fans, and late nights of partying, followed by late mornings of undisturbed sleeping. Though he is married to Liz, they have been separated for a couple of years, and neither minds the other's dalliances, or the serial dalliances of their circle of friends.

In the course of the play, several women "forget their latch keys" and have to spend the night at Essendine's apartment, where his secretary, valet, and housekeeper hide them to keep succeeding visitors from discovering them. One of them, Joanna, is married to Essendine's friend Henry, but she has had a long-standing affair with another friend, Morris, and she seduces Essendine in the course of the play. In the midst of all this deception, a young playwright also arrives, wanting to know if Essendine has read his play, at the same time confessing to having an obsession with Essendine himself, before he is shuttled off to the office when yet another unexpected visitor arrives.

As is always the case with Coward, each scene sets the stage for the next scene, and the play unfolds with dramatic ease and considerable dramatic irony. The characterizations are exaggerated for comic effect, and the dialogue is witty, with many tongue-in-cheek remarks, as the all-consuming game of "musical beds," "heartfelt" confessions, and diabolical scheming takes place. Fast pace is crucial to the action, demanding the split second appearances and disappearances of some characters as new characters enter and depart.

Though the hijinx are distinctly sexual, the play maintains an elegance of language and an on-stage formality. The clever repartee never descends to vulgarity, and the love scenes all take place off-stage. Universal in its observations of human nature, this play is still being revived and finding audiences after more than half a century. This play and Private Lives are Coward at his best. Mary Whipple

This is one of the best nature books, or for that matter one of the best books I've ever read in my life! It has beautiful photographs and very detailed and helpful information, and it shows facts about lions that even the kid most interested in lions didn't know. Also, on top of that, it even takes us into the lives of many true lions, and even goes so far as to show us pictures of a lion or lioness's face close up or the animals it lives with, such as leopards, wild dogs, hyenas, cheetahs, jackals, elephants, and vultures. I always have been and always will be a lion lover(as well as a lover of all cool and gorgeous animals)and I recommend this book to any cat fan.

WOW! One of the best lion books I have ever read! I've learned more from reading this one book then any other lion book I have read! It gives you a more in-depth look on lions, and their interesting lives. A must-read for any lion or big cat lover!

Several years ago I was lucky enuogh to spend a few weeks with Pieter Kat at his camp in Botswana. The experience was tremendous, and as I read his book, Prides, I could once again hear lions roaring in the evenings, see tiny cubs romping with tails and ears of adults, and remember many of the conflicts and struggles that threaten the survival of lion populations in Northern Botswana. The book is stunning. The photos are sensual and captivating; it is easy to spend hours paging through the pictures revisiting brilliant sunrises, herds of zebra, lionesses nuzzling. Harvey has done a commendable job capturing movements, dynamics and expressions, and as you page through, it is difficult to quiet the crunching of dry grasses underfoot and the yapping of jackels on the periphery. The text is similarly impressive. Conservation issues are identified and analyzed within a narrative that moves throughout the lion prides of Moremi Game Reserve and the nearby management areas. Kat increases the scope of research on lion biology in the Okavango Delta and frames scientific ideas around the story of his research. The book is a testament to maintaining biodiversity and wilderness areas and is a beautiful and insightful look at the lions of Moremi.

Gently surprised by the beauty and eloquence of prose, Bridget O'Mahony's Pagan Dances of Caherbarnagh takes the reader through the empty loneliness of the mournful Irish émigré.
Essentially this poignant tail is about emigration, survival in a foreign land and acceptance of a time lost. It is much more than it seems at first glance.

Pagan Dances is not technically a novel, but rather a story of reminiscences through the rendering of sad, touching letters from home and a series of short stories. It is heavy with typical Irish melancholy.

This is invaluable storytelling which easily holds the readers attention. Alternating between stories filled with eccentric characters that make up the Irish universe and letters from a heartbroken mother in Ireland to her son now living in Seattle, this book takes you on a wistful Irish journey.

In particular I enjoyed the letters from family members in Ireland. They revealed more about the heartache of broken families forced into exile due to the economic circumstances before the recent Celtic Tiger economy.

Years of isolation from family and friends, the familiarity of the homeland and the fast pace of their contemporary lives underscores the main character of Christie Horan, who ends up being too busy to return home to attend his mother's funeral.
One good example of fear within Irish society is one man's ostracization as he contemplates selling his farm. The anger projected at him is easily felt emanating from the pages.

One of my fondest and most lasting memories of Ireland is the prolific fuchsia shrubs seemingly everywhere in Ireland. O'Mahony's description of the red and purple flowers growing wild struck a sensitive chord in me.

Of course there are references to set dancing and music throughout this tome but it is the lasting quality of melancholic longing which stretches its long, grasping tentacles around your heart that sets the mood, It does not make a vain attempt at pretending to be a literary masterpiece. It is just a really good read.

PAGAN DANCES OF CAHERBARNAGH is a collection of stories, spun from the fabric of a young girl's memories of her musician father, her homemaker mother, their farm, her sisters & brothers, & the passion of dancing that overtook the young men & women around her village, before rock & roll rumbled over the hills.

It is also an enchanting collection of memories of Irish immigrants, past & present, now settled in New York & Seattle & their forays back to The Old Country.

PAGAN DANCES OF CAHERBARNAGH is a breath of fresh Irish air, with glimpses of a time long gone; about people out of their element, filled with nostalgia for what once was & is now, only memory.

Pagan Dances Of Caherbarnagh is a splendidly written novel revealing the soul of Ireland and the breath of America. Written with resounding emotion, author Bridget O'Mahony's covers the heart-wrenching loss of leaving one's country, family, and identity for a glittering future hope in a far-off land. A moving, fiery tale of drive, determination, and the uplifting vigor of the spirit, Bridget O'Mahony's is highly recommended reading from first page to last!.

En este pequeño libro se ve el internacionalismo en acción. Nelson Mandela y Fidel Castro explica en discursos dieron conjuntos en Cuba ( en 1991 ) como la ayuda militar, incluye combatientes voluntarios que Cuba dió a Angola combatir las invasiones de las tropas de sudafrica racista ayudó a la lucha independentista de Namibia y también a la revolución democratica sudafricana.. Más que todo, en este libro dos soldados de la revolución mundial plantean un punto de vista cientifica acerca del imperialismo, el capitalismo hoy día llamada " globalizado"que Fidel describe como la esclavitud de hoy en día, y - más importante que todo - ,la capacidad que la gente " común", los trabajadores y campesinos tomar el poder, hacer revolución, y empezar la historia humana. Como Mandela dijo en estas paginas, es el pueblo que hacen la historia - no los reyes ni los príncipes ni los generales.Es una lección indispensible por nosotros los obreros y campesinos en lucha en contra de la clase de superricos hoy y mañana.

Fidel Castro and Nelson Mandela together in Cuba, not simply celebrating the victory of the South African Freedom struggle, not simply celebrating the continued life of the Cuban revolution, but speaking the truth about how the oppressed of the world can fight,can struggle, can win. Just the idea that this little book exists, let alone its stirring, intelligent words, reminds me that though the battles have been tough, working people fighting like these two fighters can win.

While this book is not always available on Amazon, it is always available from BooksfromPathfinder, an Amazon Z store that you can get to by clicking on New and Used further up this page!

Aquí hay dos discursos magníficos por destacados dirigentes revolucionarios: Nelson Mandela de Sudáfrica y Fidel Castro de Cuba, en ocasión de la visita de Mandela a Cuba en 1991.

Mandela acaba de haber salido de la cárcel en Sudáfrica, después de cumplir 28 años de una condena perpetua por su lucha contra el sistema racista del apartheid. Su visita a Cuba tuvo una importancia especial, dado en papel imprescindible de cientos de miles de voluntarios cubanos en la lucha militar contra la invasión de Angola por el ejército sudafricano. La derrota de los invasores en la histórica batalla de Cuito Cuanavale en 1988 abrió una nueva y exitosa etapa en la lucha contra el apartheid. También fue una experiencia importante que fortaleció la conciencia revolucionaria en Cuba, haciendo posible avances contra la presión del capitalismo y el burocratismo.

El título del libro "¡Que lejos hemos llegado los esclavos!" viene del discurso de Fidel, hablando de los raíces africanos de los pueblos de Cuba y de todo el Caribe. Una perspectiva internacionalista incomparable de la unidad de los intereses y las luchas de los pueblos explotados y oprimidos en todo el mundo!

Any book by Desmond Tutu is inspirational, and he always has an appealingly humorous style. Read this and "An African Prayer Book." And if you are intriqued by this great man, read "A TELLING TIME" by Glynnis Hayward, too. There is a character in this moving South African novel, Rev Mkize, who is a Zulu priest. I feel he is inspired by the famous Archbishop, whom he quotes respectfully.

Desmond Tutu is definately a man of God. His love, forgiveness and courage is set firmly in his belief of the Gospel. Through this book he clearly demonstrates the power that comes from a belief. The journals will inspire anybody.

The Rainbow People of God is a must-have anthology of Desmond Tutu's most motivating and inspiring letters, sermons and addresses between 1974 and 1994. John Allen (editor) includes some of Tutu's most memorable public addresses and skillfully weaves historical background information into the public addresses for the reader's benefit. This proves extremely helpful in painting an overall picture of the antiapartheid movement in South Africa. Anyone who has listened to Tutu speak understands that he often employs humor to illustrate the darkness and oppression caused by apartheid. Readers expecting such humor will enjoy complete satisfaction in this collection of Tutu's speeches. Through Tutu's voice, we learn how he successfully merged African and Christian philosophy to become one of the key players in defeating apartheid.

Reversing sail: A history Of The African Diaspora, by Michael A. Gomez, knocks it out of the ball park; with this highly engaging, well reseached, & wonderfully written book. He leaves no thread untied, in bringing together the history of the African Diaspora; and his scholarship is beyond reproach. He unites the African Diaspora in a insightful, "Holistic" way, better than any book on the subject I have read so far,I defiantly, highly, recommened this wonderful book !

This book has a statement in its epilogue that is among the best I've ever seen as a match between the subject matter and the purpose of the book itself - Michael A. Gomez writes of the growth of reconnection between Africa proper and those scattered around the world, stating that, `Given the ongoing impoverishment of many in Africa and the Diaspora, such interrelationships require deeper and more practical meaning if they are to play a significant role in ending the despair. The incredible beauty and creativity of the African Diaspora, combined with its unbelievable suffering and disadvantage, are contradictions awaiting resolution.'

Gomez is a professor of history at NYU, a university that offers degree programmes in the study of the African Diaspora. Gomez remarks on the value of the interactions with people at the university in his acknowledgements - it is in the storytelling and conversations that many subjects such as this one come to greater life and clarity. Gomez writes that the story of the African Diaspora is unlike any other in the history of the world, full of contradiction and ambiguity, but nonetheless sharing a pedigree as ancient as almost any other continuing society in the world.

Gomez makes the distinction between the study of the African Diaspora and the study of African Americans in two ways: first, it looks to see the influence of and influences on African-descended persons in different ways in new non-African environments and cultures; and second, it makes comparisons and examines relationships between these communities in geographically separated or distinct ways. It is not tied to the American nation-state, or any other particular nation-state or continent, but looks at persons of African descent outside Africa on a global scale.

There are shared features, however, that many of these communities share beyond their point of origin. Many of the communities find an experience of enslavement, a struggle to maintain traditional African culture, struggles against discrimination, and continuing identification with Africa as common bonds. Gomez divides the book into two sections, the `old world' and the `new world'. Old world topics include the ancient cultures in and around Africa (Egypt, Nubia, Greece and Rome), biblical themes and influences (and the broader context of Judeo-Christian history in African Diaspora themes), and Islamic cultural influences. The role of Africans in each of these histories and traditions is varied and significant; some myths are laid to rest here (the Islamic cultures practiced slavery as did the Western cultures, and in some places continue to have race-relation issues that stem from economic and cultural disadvantages coming out of this period much as the Western world has had), and points of difficulty in understanding and researching are identified (the lack of primary sources, sustained communities preserving histories, etc. means that much has been lost).

With regard to the new world, the history begins with the transatlantic slave trade, particularly the Middle Passage. Slavery was not a monolithic institution, and slavery was practiced differently in different parts of the new world. Thus, the response of the African descendents and the dominant culture vary from place to place; Gomez looks at slavery experience from colony to colony as well as from general regional perspectives. South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and North America all had different purposes and different treatment toward slaves. Again, Gomez lays certain myths to rest: `Although there were 8 million white Southerners in 1860, only 384,884 were slaveholders. This would suggest that the vast majority of whites had no relationship to slavery, had no vested interest in it, but just the opposite was true.' The dominant culture needed the institution of slavery, even if it was only a minority of members of that culture who actually owned the slaves.

Gomez also looks at the emancipation processes of the slaves beyond the North American perspective, showing the different ways in which the struggle for freedom and the achievement of the same manifested in different countries. For example, Haiti's Revolution in the late eighteenth century is shown to be both `crowning achievement' and an ironic catalyst for worsening slavery conditions elsewhere. The aftermath continues to be felt to this day, as `those who struggled so valiantly against tyranny have only met with a U.S.-led policy of ostracism and indifference every since.' Gomez also highlights the experience in Cuba, distinct from many other experiences in the Americas, as a place where the post-slavery situation did not automatically become a place of racial tension and prejudice.

Gomez' final two chapters show the reconnection and movement of people back toward their history, culture and identity, while still remaining, as members of the Diaspora, outside of their ancestral homeland. Communities reconnected with Africa as well as connected for the first time with each other; people of African descent all over the world had the freedom and resources, however limited, to make their own connections on a global scale. This includes but is not limited to political, social, and artistic connections - in areas such as sports and music, there is substantial success across such international boundaries.

Gomez ends each chapter with a narrative bibliography for further readings and research. Gomez states specifically that his intention is not to be exhaustive or comprehensive, but rather to give an introduction into the various places, times, events and persons connected with the broad topic of the African Diaspora. In this regard, Gomez succeeds. The text is interesting and accessible, giving sufficient detail without becoming tedious but also not lacking information or leaving things unaccounted for, save when the primary source material simply is not available (as is the case frequently, and this is part of the issue that Gomez highlights throughout the text). The index is useful, and there are a few maps and pictures scattered throughout the book. I might wish for one bibliography listing in the back for ease of reference, and footnoting through the text for further identification of sources, but these are minor quibbles given the scope and purpose of the book.

Professor Gomez has written a rather concise but scholarly general overview of the history of the African Diaspora. For three years I have been teaching a course in the Afr. and Afr. Amer. Studies department at the University of Memphis which is designed to introduce the student to the concept and early history of the Diaspora. I had also been assiduously searching for a quality, cost efficient text which could serve as a compliment to my notes. I think that I have found it in this work.

This is the most entertaining and at the same time interesting book I read on the exploration/exploitation of Africa. In the beginning I thought I would read a book on the river Congo, but it turned out that it was much more than that: It gives you the background to the main events since early times. So it covers the geography and the historical setting. Recommended for any vacation.

This book is one of the best history lessons of Africa I have ever had. It taught me more about Africa than I would have learned in any one semester course - from the early navigational schools of the Portugese and the inability of early sailing ships to tack and sail south, to Stanley and Livingston (whom I had always thought to be a missionary and not the explorer he is portayed as in this book) and on to Leopold's desire to carve his own little fiefdom, the Belgian Congo, which not even the Belgians wanted. For anyone wanting to educate themselves on the history of Africa this is a must read - educational, erudite, and well written.

I really enjoyed this book, which is a very well balanced compendium of history, geography and adventure. Mr. Forbath achieves a perfectly consistent presentation of a complex subject matter that conveys a lot more than just the tale of a river. Mr. Forbath wisely retraces the historical feats back to their very origin in a wider than local perspective which provides the curious reader with sound extra insights of the history of Africa after its 'discovery' by the europeans. Besides, the 'adventure & exploration' side of the book is simply compelling.

So, whether you're looking for a historical introduction to Central Africa (not just Congo), or an account of its exploration by the europeans, or both at once, do read this book.

Note: The edition in Spanish, which I read, was enhanced by an addendum updating Zaire's recent history since its independence to this day.

What a wonderful book!! Young adults and mature readers alike will find the humour, the very interesting history and the culture of Kenya in this book, very hard to put down - although the anecdotal format makes for easy, and short reading episodes.
Mr Gill's teenage years will surely trigger reader's memories and the hilarious school days during the 2nd WW make us realize that those forever lost days were wonderful days indeed. If only we could still feel the safety in being able to allow 2 mid-teenage boys to take a 400 mile walk from Nairobi to the Northern Frontier District and back without fearing personal disaster. Mr. Gill's books would make a terrific TV mini-series.
Give them for Crhristmas, birthdays, anniversaries. A welcome gift anytime.

More hilarious adventures by a really good writer. His smooth, yet fast-paced writing is a boon to the reader with a busy schedule.
Being in my 20's, I can really relate to Mr Gill's teenage years. Although adventures in sport exist for us today, my parents could never have allowed me at 15, to take a 400 mile trek into whatever wilderness there is still to be found.
Mr. Gill's characters are truly memorable and I laughed until the tears ran down my cheeks at the events of the Morgan Holiday.
This and his first book, Rambunctious Reflections should find a very wide audience. A great gift idea. Thank you Mr. Gill.

This sequel to the author's first book of memoirs,'Rambunctious Reflections',which covers his early childhood years in Kenya, does not disappoint.Like it's predecessor it is packed full of pithy tales of adventure and bravado.Many of these are extremely funny and all are written with the humour and sensitivity of hindsight.
This time we are taken from the age of around ten, through teenage years, a spell at Dublin's Trinity College and back to Kenya for first years of employment.
The book opens with an action packed account of a family seaside holiday.This is no ordinary holiday(but then nothing that happens through out can be described as "ordinary")- and invovles the author taking it on himself to blow the roof off the privy, a close encounter with a leopard, another with two snakes, and the kitchen being stampeded by a herd of buffalo!This is not to mention his aunt's narrow escape from the clutches of a handsome young man ,who was not all he appeared to be.!
The rest of the action unfolds in similar vein as we learn what it was like for a young boy to grow up in the Kenya of sixty years ago. We see him learning to ride a horse through lion inhabited terrain,with the incentive to remain in the saddle somewhat greater than usual!, shooting crocodiles and taking on such challenges as swimming round Mombasa island and embarking on a 400 mile trek,which was finished in a remarkable nine days.
I was intrigued to learn about the customs of the Masai people- their way of measuring age and distance, the tradition of circumcision, blooding the spear etc.
One of the funniest tales concerns a misunderstanding about an arsenic laced cattle dip.
In stark contrast there is the harrowing story of a young Polish boy, who had been the subject of Nazi experimentation. It does, however , have an extraordinarily positive outcome for another unfortunate person.
Of the many characters who populate the book I think perhaps it is the hapless school teachers of the PoW who stand out the most.I must confess to a certain amount of sympathy for them for the many pranks they suffer at the hands of the merciless boys!!
I was kept entertained from cover ot cover and look forward to the publication of Gill's next Book.