Africa Books

Ron Ramdin is the leading historian in the history of Black and Asian British. He left Trinidad and came to England in the 1960s. Since then he has devoted his life to study in the British Musuem and British Library. Several of his books are now used as course texts in universities. Reimaging Britain is the pinnacle of his achievement. It evaluates where Black and Asian Britons have come from - and points the way ahead.

Ron Ramdin is the leading historian in the history of Black and Asian British. He left Trinidad and came to England in the 1960s. Since then he has devoted his life to study in the British Musuem and British Library. Several of his books are now used as course texts in universities. Reimaging Britain is the pinnacle of his achievement. It evaluates where Black and Asian Britons have come from - and points the way ahead.

My five-year old adores this book. It has great illustrations and an engaging story line about a monster hiding in the cave that turned out to be a tiny caterpillar. It is hillarious and involves child attention. After the first reading my son knows who is hiding in the cave and tries to reasure all the scared animals every time we read it. This book is a joy to read for both a parent and a child and has a great message that what we fear often turns out to be small issue.

This book holds the attention of its intended audience beyond belief. The repetitious phrase, spoken by the would be monster, enables young readers to stay involved as they anticipate each animals incounter. Older readers can't wait to find out the monster's true identity. Best of all the illustrations don't give the monster's identity away until the appropriate time. All during the story it is evident the children's imaginations are whirling wildly. A must have for any teacher or reading volunter.

An intriguing book that adopts a new slant on the development of Islam in the Sudan. Author Johnson shows us, step by step how the rise of states in this region and their relations with neighbors and the West resulted in a different form of religious expression. The Dervishes that fought the British at the end of the 19th century were imbued with a fervor, according to Johnson that reflected a long-developed process of assimilation and adaptation to both the Northern Arab, the Southern African and he West in general - the colonial experience. It is a fine addition to Francis Deng's great book, WAR OF VISIONS. I found THE ROOT CAUSES OF SUDAN'S CIVIL WARS a very enlightening read. As the author of a new book on the Sudan, JIHAD: THE MAHDI REBELLION IN THE SUDAN, I must include this volume into any meaningful understanding of historical forces in this region. TOP RATED!!!

After reading this book, you will laugh at newspaper reports that describe the conflict in Sudan as between "the Muslim north and Christian and animist south". Johnson not only has extensive academic publications in Sudanese ethnography and historiography, but also worked in the aid field in the country. He is also, in a well-sourced, calm and clearly presented manner, outraged at how thoroughly misunderstood the situation in Sudan is. The detail in this book is amazing. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable in an armchair kind of way about southern Sudan, and was consistently being presented with either facts of which I was unaware or, better yet, syntheses tying together various fields in a historical perspective. The offensives, famines, factionalism within southern groups, agricultural schemes, external mediators, forced displacement patterns, and competing aid agencies are all here, and presented so one can see the linkages. This is one of the rare books in which, for example, the connection between the timing of government offensives to seasonal rainfall is convincingly fit within framework of underdevelopment as a political strategy.

There are a couple points that made me consider moving this down to four stars. One is that Johnson is clearly partisan to the south. He is not fatally so in my opinion, describing some very unflattering characteristics and actions of Garang's faction, and making his bias clear from the beginning. By the end of the book, he also makes a strong case that "neutrality" has been misused or abused in the context of the Sudanese wars, and led me to muse that his outrage seems to spring from his knowledge, versus some writers about southern Sudan whose outrage impedes their learning. I also occasionally found the division of the book in its latter section into thematic sections confusing, especially in cases where the text would refer to later chapters for more information about a mentioned event or process. Fortunately, the appendix includes both a detailed chronology from 1972 through 2001 and a pretty good topical index for when I needed a bit of help orienting myself. The extensive annotated bibliography would be quite useful for some people. There is also the rather obvious issue that the book was written prior to the finalization of the peace agreement and death of Garang, which makes me anxious for an update.

Bottom line: If you want to know about the conflicts in Sudan between 1983 and 2001, then this is the book. If you've read other works on Sudan, you'll be astonished at how thoroughly Johnson annihilates the common wisdom. And whoever you are, you may come to share some of Johnson's outrage.

I recently spent two months in Kenya, and I read a lot of guide books both before I left the U.S. and once I was in Africa. This was definitely the most useful and informative....it was far superior to Lonely Planet in both coverage and accuracy. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is going to be spending a substantial amount of time in Kenya.

Last April, together with my son I went on a 10 days' self-drive safari in a small Maruti jeep from Nairobi to South Nyanza in Western Kenya, exploring Kenya's western highlands, the Lake Victoria coast and islands, and also the Ruma National park, bringing the Rough Guide to Kenya 8 with us. We found the book very helpful. The guidebook probably has the best coverage of this area. The safari was great!

Twelve-year-old Saba is a regular girl living in the country of Ethopia in 1846. Like any regular girl she has a brother, Mesfin, and a strict grandmother whom she adores greatly. Everything is well for her until she and her brother disobey and venture out of their home, where they are kidnapped and brought to the royal palace. It is there that Saba finally learns of her true identity. At first, Saba, keenly unaware of the dangers of the court, can only delight in her new found surroundings. Unfortuantely, innocence can not last forever, and she learns of a deadly threat to her and her brother...one that threatens their very lives and freedom. Yet, Saba is determined to use her wits to save her and her brother from the treacherous inner working of the court.

I was very much fascinated with this book for it was one of the very few books that talks about the Ethopia royal family in any great detail. Saba is a strong first-person narrator and you will enjoy her way of expressing herself. A definite must-read.

Saba Under the Hyena's Foot
By Kurtz
Historical Fiction
Character Motivation
By Jamie (age 9)
"I turned to flee. Out of nowhere hands grabbed me." This book is about twelve year old Saba and how she found out she was royalty. But when she did find out mean Empress Menen tried to get rid of Saba by marrying her to a prince. But Saba has one week to find her brother and escape. Will Saba do it? How? Reed the book and see!!

Saba's goal is to find her Emama and her brother. Her motivation is the unhappy thought of being married to a prince makes her keep trying. Another motivation she has is to be with her only family her and Emama (grandmother.) Another motivation she has is to get away from the evil Empress Menen.

Even though every book in this series is historical fiction the author's make the book seem so real like it was really happening. I recommend this book for girls ages 9-15 that have read at least one book in this series before. I like this book because it has a lot of detail that support the main idea. For instance, Saba would not take off her barebaso slippers because they were given to her in kindness. I hope if you read this book you will enjoy it as much as I did.

A friend gave me this before my recent trip to East Africa. Safari Journal was a great companion to have on safari. Not only a good guide book to most of the animals and birds, but I kept a journal of my trip in it. I highly recommend it - even if you don't go to Africa. The photos are superb.

This guide and journal proved invaluable during my recent trip to Tanzania. ID of wildlife was easy and the background info in the front was excellent reading prior to the trip. The checklist is an added bonus, allowed me to keep a record of the wildlife I saw during the trip. I didn't actually use the Journal pages for notes because I had along a small note pad that was sufficient plus I didn't want to mess up the pages with my sloppy writing!

This book was sent to me by a friend who knows I collect children's books. I had never heard of Hudson Talbott before, nor had I heard of this book.

It's fabulous! Safari Journal will appeal to both girls and boys ages 7 to 15, as well some adults. My 5 year old daughter asked me to read it the day it arrived, and she sat through the whole story, although it was quite a long story for a 5 year old! (I'm not so sure this would be typical, though.)

I love the photographs, the innovative way factual information is interwoven within a funny, adventureous story and the feeling that you are reading the actual journal of this 12 1/2 year old.

Side note: If you've ever been to Disney World's Animal Kingdom Lodge and liked it, you'll LOVE this book. It highlights the same animals you'll see there and the same people that are showcased in the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

This Book is a great innovative book that is a 12 1/2 year old's fictious journal of his African Safari. There is action, adventure, humor and factual information about african animals, Swahili words, Massai people and wildlife preserves in Africa.

It's the most innovative children's book I've seen in a long time and will appeal to any child between the ages of 6 and 15. DON'T HESITATE -- BUY THIS BOOK! (you won't regret it!)

This book is a moving, sometimes funny, sometimes heart-breaking account of Elder Pace's service among the African saints. It begins with his service during the terrible famine in Ethiopia in the 1980's and continues until his release from his assignment as a member of the Quorum of the Seventy assigned to the Africa West Area.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fascinating story. It sure made me appreciate the great blessings I enjoy as a member of the church living in the United States. The first chapter is mostly quotes about the plan of the gospel, and I think, slows the book down. These would have been better placed at the end.

The book includes many of Elder Pace's talks, including his address in General Conference of April 2000. The pictures are wonderful. My favorite was the picture of Sister Pace talking to a woman who was carrying a sewing machine on her head! Now, that's ingenuous. One that missionaries, families, and those curious about the LDS church would enjoy.

Safe Journey is the best LDS Church book in years. But first, a word on "LDS Church Books". Books are of the utmost importance in Mormon culture and follow a strict and complex hierarchy. Of first rank are the scriptures--Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. These works are considered the "standard works" and serve as the measure of the orthodoxy of any other work. The next level are works written at the express direction of Church leadership, such as Talmage's "Jesus the Christ" or which remain published exclusively by the Church, such as President Kimball's "Miracle of Forgiveness". After these are works of General Authorities, which traditionally bear a disclaimer stating that any such book is entirely the responsibility of its author rather than a statement of Church doctrine. Many excellent and worthy books are written by gospel historians, BYU Professors, Church Education personnel and others, but works by General Authorities have an implicit authority that derives from the mandate of their authors to be Special Witnesses of Christ.

The largest subset of General Authority books are the "teachings" volumes, which generally summarize sermons and conference addresses. Next you have volumes of exegesis and commentary concerning the standard works and various doctrines--most notable of which are those by Elder McConkie and Elder Maxwell, different styles, same message. A fascinating and increasingly popular style are what I call Church Procedurals: primarily works such as those by Elder Gibbons which, though ostensibly biographies of Church Presidents, provide the best publicly-available record of the operation of the Church at the highest levels. Another example would be "Pure Religion" by Glen L. Rudd. But the rarest and my personal favorites are the autobiographical works. (Elder Maxwell's "Moving in His Majesty and Power" falls squarely in this category.)

Elder Pace manages in "Safe Journey" to hit the high points of every subcategory. It is a sound and instructive blend of doctrine, Church History, procedure and biography. And, despite its depth, it is a fun read. We forget sometimes that the restoration is still happening--Elder Pace manages to reveal the frustration of leading the enthusiastic new African saints without in any fashion detracting from the Spirit. He demonstrates that it the testimony of Jesus and His modern prophets that is truly essential to the work--all else is merely an appendage of lesser importance. This work is also all the more powerful because it faithfully describes the Lord's process of bringing his blessings to a new people--it is primarily the story of the building of the Ghana temple.

Elder Pace succeeds in telling an honest and complete story that is all the more fascinating for its portrayal of the many roadblocks both encountered and overcome in his administration of the Church in West Africa. Some discouraging moments are shared for the purpose of highlighting the joy that follows when things are put right--which doesn't necessary happen on Elder Pace's schedule. Elder Pace does not hestitate to share personal struggles and the value of this book lies in its author's willingness to share the lessons he has learned from his experiences in Africa.

author of Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family

from the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
November 29, 2002

Celebrated cookbook author and chef Joyce Goldstein can trace her bloodline to a Russian shtetl, but her heart and soul lie in the Mediterranean.

In "Cucina Ebraica" (Chronicle Books, 1998) and "Sephardic Flavors" (Chronicle Books, 2000) she explored Italian Jewish and Spanish Jewish cuisine, and now, to round out the trilogy, in "Saffron Shores" (Chronicle Books, $35) she continues her Mediterranean culinary journey with the exotic cuisine of the Maghreb: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, even including related Judeo-Arabic countries like Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran.

"I have been cooking this food for I cannot tell you how many years," said the former chef/owner of the renowned Mediterranean restaurant Square One in San Francisco. "When I was doing research for `Sephardic Flavors,' I realized the subject was so huge I couldn't do it all in one book, so I covered the northern Mediterranean in `Sephardic Flavors' and the southern Mediterranean in `Saffron Shores.' Here the style of cooking changes with a lot more spices and herbs and additional uses of fruit, but, of course, there is some overlap."

Notable for its absence is Israeli cuisine. "I left it out because it's a hodgepodge," she explains. "The last time I was in Israel I was served sashimi and Thai-flavored something or other, and I thought, sorry, I didn't come here for that. Israeli cuisine is a melting pot, a lot like America. Whoever is there is cooking Romanian food, Italian food, Yemenite food. Is there Israeli cuisine? I think it's fusion, so I didn't give it much attention. It's not pure. I'd rather go back to the sources."

Indeed, each recipe reflects Goldstein's impeccable research and attention to detail, and regional differences are carefully noted. For example, for the Cumin Flavored Meatballs, Goldstein offers Moroccan and Syrian variations. But she never sacrifices flavor for authenticity, adding a touch of orange to the sfenj (Moroccan Chanukah donuts), for example, and adjusting the spices in various dishes.

"The spices of North Africa are really vibrant, just incredible, so much fresher and more intense than those we can buy here," she said. "To make these recipes taste right, I often had to double them."

More than just a recipe collection, "Saffron Shores" traces the history of Jewish life in these exotic lands and its impact on the cuisine. We learn that unlike the Ashkenazim, who preserved their Judaism by isolating themselves, the Sephardim were more involved in the communities in which they lived. "They shared recipes and culinary traditions with their non-Jewish neighbors," she writes. "Their food reflected the cuisine of their homeland but adapted to follow the kosher laws."

Because the Sephardim were more active in the community, in trades and in business, there was a greater exchange of ideas between Jews and Muslims, and the similarity in recipes between Jews and their non-Jewish neighbors is striking, she notes.

"On the other hand, certain [Eastern European] dishes, when you think of them, you know they are Jewish. I have many Russian cookbooks, but I don't see too many recipes in there for brisket or tzimmes. There's not as much overlap between the Jewish and non-Jewish dishes. Some of the ingredients are the same, like cabbage and potatoes, but the recipes don't track the same way that the Sephardic ones do."

A tireless researcher, Goldstein combed cookbooks from the area, written in French, to capture the authentic tastes and aromatic flavors of such dishes as Iraqi Chicken and Chickpea Pastries, Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Honey and Moroccan Chicken and Almond Pie. The latter, known as B'Stilla, Goldstein calls "a masterpiece of Moroccan cuisine."

And while most of the recipes are easy to prepare, favoring the use of fresh, local ingredients over the labor-intensive method, the savory pastries that Goldstein calls "labors of love" are worth the extra effort, she said. Teams of women would prepare them together for special occasions, a tradition that is sadly dying out. Goldstein suggests families create their own traditions by preparing these bistels, briks or buraks together. "Anything that is fried is appropriate for Chanukah. The Tunisian briks are rounder in shape and contain egg, as compared to the bistels from Morocco and buraks from Algeria," she explains, "but they all can be fried."

For those who can't think of Chanukah without potatoes, there are potato filled briks from Tunisia. But Goldstein offers a variety of fillings for these pastries, from beef or lamb to feta cheese to chicken with chickpea to spinach with pine nuts. Depending on the region, the dough may be phyllo, yeast raised, short crust or semolina, and the pastries may be baked as well as fried.

These spice-infused pastries make an alluring addition to any Chanukah table. And for Ashkenazic Jews, what an exotic change from latkes.

>Cumin Flavored Meatballs With Onion Jam and Spicy Tomato Sauce

1 pound ground beef

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1¼4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

11¼2 teaspoons salt

1¼2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Light a fire in a charcoal grill. (You may also use a skillet heated over medium-high heat.)

2. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well, form into 16 oval meatballs wrapped around skewers, or into eight oval patties.

3. Grill or cook in oil on a hot pan until browned on all sides.

4. Serve with onion jam and tomato sauce.

Serves four.

Moroccan Chanukah Doughnut

2 envelopes active dry yeast

1¼4 cup sugar

1¼2 cup warm water

4 cups all-purpose flour

1¼2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten (optional)

grated zest of 1 orange

1¼4 cup canola oil, melted margarine,

or melted unsalted butter (optional)

11¼2 to 2 cups warm water or part

water, part orange juice

Peanut or canola oil for deep frying

Granulated sugar for sprinkling or warm honey for dipping (optional)

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.

2. Pour into a large bowl and gradually stir in the flour and salt.

3. Stir in the eggs, zest, and 1¼4 cup oil, margarine or butter, if using.

4. Stir in just enough water or water and juice to make a soft and elastic dough.

5. Knead well, with a dough hook or by hand, on a lightly floured surface, until the dough is elastic, smooth and shiny.

6. Roll the dough into a ball, place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat.

7. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled (11¼2 to 2 hours).

8. Oil your hands. Divide the dough into 20 balls about 2 inches in diameter.

9. In a deep saucepan or wok, heat 3 inches of oil to 365 F.

10. Take a ball of dough, make a hole in the center, and pull it out to make a doughnut shape. Deep fry a few at a time until the donuts are puffed and golden.

11. Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, transfer to paper towels to drain.

12. While still hot, sprinkle with granulated sugar or dip in warm honey. Serve warm.

Makes about 20 donuts.

`Saffron Shores' is the first of Joan Goldstein's Jewish Mediterranean cuisine books I have read, and it is easily the best book of Jewish cuisine I have read and reviewed. I say this with the reservation that there are several books on Jewish cooking out there which have excellent pedigrees, such as Claudia Roden's `The Book of Jewish Food', so you may have to take my opinion with a grain of salt.

That said, I still believe this is an excellent book on Jewish cooking and an excellent book on southern Mediterranean cooking. I am surprised this book makes no mention of the fact that that Ms. Goldstein is the author of a really excellent general book of Mediterranean recipes entitled `The Mediterranean Kitchen', published in 1992 by Morrow. While there are dozens of good, well-known books on Mediterranean food by a pantheon of authors headed by Paula Wolfert, Claudia Roden, Nancy Harmon Jenkins, and Clifford Wright, Ms. Goldstein has a light touch in all of her books which make her recipes especially easy to follow.

The very first thing which impresses me about `Saffron Shores' after the delightfully designed dust jacket is Ms. Goldstein's history of the Jewish peoples after the Diaspora, especially the Shepardim who, unlike the Askenazim of eastern and central Europe, settled around the Mediterranean in lands dominated by the Arabic, Moorish, Berber, and Ottoman cultures of Islam. This essay goes far to explain the similarities between Islamic cuisines and the Jewish `dhimmis' who on average had a better time of things under Islam than their Northern brethren had under Christians.

The next thing that impressed me and should impress you is the sketch of Jewish kosher dietary laws. As a gentile, what I knew about these traditions and laws was entirely based on hearsay. My only surprise with this description is that the primary categories of food (fleishig, milchig, parve) are named in Yiddish not Hebrew or Spanish or any other language more familiar to the Shepardim than the Askenazim.

The kosher dietary laws are not only covered in general, they are also discussed as they are applied to the major holidays of the Jewish calendar, including the Sabbath, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, and Passover.

`Saffron Shores' means primarily the modern lands of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, also known collectively as the Maghrebi. As such, reading this book immediately sounds like an echo of writings by Paula Wolfert. Among the appetizers are the classic chickpea preparations, olive dishes, and salt preserved lemons.

I also detect Ms. Goldstein's drawing a bit outside the lines when she selects some dishes. The `Savory Pastries chapter includes dishes from Iraq and Lebanon. Closer to home, the Maghrebi, we have the b'stilla, a version of savory pie of North Africa which seems to pop up in some form or other in every Mediterranean land from Morocco to Armenia.

Among soups, there are several recipes for specific holidays including Passover and Rosh Hashanah. Lentils and fava beans are the stars in many of these recipes. Some recipe headnotes include comments which reveal some parallels between Jewish and Islamic (Ramadan) fasting traditions and meals designed to break one's fast.

A large number of fish recipes seems quite natural, as fish with scales seem to have very few limitations on cooking technique and we are talking about the shores of the Mediterranean here. This section includes a Moroccan tagine, fish with couscous, and fish with citrus. All very Moroccan. I am tickled to see fish braised here, as I was just a bit surprised to read fish braising recipes in a book dedicated to braising.

Chicken is another Jewish / Mediterranean culinary favorite. The chapter on same has the usual tagines, couscous dishes, and roasts, but no Frenchy game bird dishes here, thank you, as kosher rules forbid food killed in the wild. More Moroccan inspired b'stilla recipes appear here. As chicken was rare in North Africa and more valuable for its eggs than its meat, many of the chicken dishes are specifically allocated to important holidays.

What would a North African cuisine be without a few lamb dishes done in a tagine? I'm surprised to see some sausage recipes here. This is simply a reminder that sausages do not have to be made with pork.

It is fun to see in North African cuisine some dessert themes which made their way all the way to Vienna at the high tide of the Ottoman incursion into Europe. As raw sugar is uncommon in the desert, desserts are made mostly with dried fruits, nuts, and honey, and are typically done in small portions.

This is not a scholarly book, but it was created with scholarship from scholarly sources in English, Arabic, and French. For scholarly sources, see the excellent bibliography at the back of the book, especially the works of Ms. Wolfert and Ms. Roden, which will be much more accessible than most of the other works.

For one who cooks for a family that observes Jewish dietary laws, this book should be a delight. I can easily imagine the constraints of kosher cooking can lead to a limited palette without some inspiration, as you will find in this book. General readers who are fond of the cuisine of the Maghrebi will also find much to enjoy in this book; however, if you already have a sizable collection of books on North African and Mediterranean cuisine, you may find a fair amount of overlap.

All in all, I recommend this book to foodies and strongly recommend it to kosher foodies.

The ecosystem of the Namib Desert is absolutely fascinating. Even though I read this several years ago with my children, I occasionally think back to this desert of fog and the life that depends upon it. And of course Brandenburg's photos are always top-notch.

Acclaimed nature photographer Jim Brandenburg has focused his camera eye on Namibia, its landscape, people, and animals. Bordered by Angola, Zimbabwe and the Atlantic Ocean, Namibia is a mysterious land of searing sand and cool waters. It is best described by contrasts, but better seen through the marvelous full-color photographs in this striking volume.

Although "Namib" means "Place of no people," the country holds several ethnic groups. Brandenburg shows a colorfully clad Herero woman gracefully carrying an ancient sewing machine on her head, a Himba woman wearing a mixture of fat and ocher, and Kung men during an all-night dance as they create their own music with singing and drums.

Crystal rock formations edging a desert etched by softly shifting dunes is a scene of breathtaking beauty, as are the coastal rock formations.

The armchair traveler will thoroughly enjoy visiting southern Africa with Sand and Fog.

- Gail Cooke