Africa Books

Children's book? Not really. I think adults will understand more about this gentle, thoughtful poem accompanied by beautifully drawn faces and places. I ordered this for my public library's children's section, but it's one of those books that fit everywhere and nowhere. Read it for its beauty and forget about whether it's appropriate for children or a kids' book. It's appropriate for all even though it's not a children's book.

This is a very powerful book. The images are breathtaking and the organization of the book gives more meaning to them. This is a visual history of being African-American. Add it to your home library for your children.

An adept educator, I have used this literary work with students in grades 2 and 3. It is an empowering, poetic tool used to help children across cultures--particularly those of African descent--understand that there is an interconnected relationship between people of African ancestry throughout the world. Walk along the streets of Harlem (New York), Bahia(South America), Sierra Leone (West Africa), Loiza (Puerto Rico); Zimbabwe (Southern Africa); Jamaica (West Indies)... In each of the faces of people in such communities, we see beautiful black similarities--ancestral traces and a rich legacy. This work helps to tell the story of a people connected despite our displacement from the Motherland because of the dehumanizing institution of slavery. By no means should this work be targeted only at the adult population. Dawe's literary effort serves as a "griot tool," passing knowledge along; Brother Feelings impressively sketched illustrations serve as an empowering visual accent. A must have item for those who embrace and confirm the reality of the worldwide African extended family!

Professor Abimbola not only dissects the basic structure of the Odus, but his explanations of Ifa spirituality are unsurpassed in transparency and logic. If you are confused and looking for a knowledgeable guide to this ancient wisdom, this is what you need. Prof. Abimbola's English is as impeccable as his erudition, and the book is never heavy or unnecessarily complicated.

This book is a master work by a scholar of the first order. Mr Abimbola has complete command of his subject. In reading many work on the Ifa corpus this book is far and away the best. Do not cheat yourself out of the experience.

Many people are unaware of the magic of the Orishas. The
Europeansthat first encounterd this form of divination called it witch craft and mislabeled the greatness of it. In A dogmatic christainsoceity of today it seems more and more people are going back to pagan roots. Yoruba is a very old relgion in Africa, and possibly it does have connections to that of ancient kemetaka Egypt. I myself being a white person so enchanted by the nature of African spirtuality probally cannot turly understand the Orisha or how deep it goes for a person of African ancestry.
I do not practice this form of whorship,but I love the concepts of the relgion. The book is the Vedas,Bible,Ouran, Bhavagad Gita to those individuals that are dedicated to the divination of Ifa.
If you want to see the wisdom of an ancient people and relgion shine through please pick up this book.

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.

The Intellectual Traditions of Pre-Colonial Africa is one if the best books written that l have read about the early history of Africa.The editor [Dr.Hilliard] undertook a history long overlooked and brought to light a remarkable ancient history of Africa.This extraordinary book gives the readers knowledge of Africa pasts as who is an African and their early development.Dr.Hilliard was able to examined Africa kingdoms and their earliest populations and religious traditions.The book also pointout one of the most tragic legacies of Africa's slave past and European colonialism of Africa continent.Dr.Hilliard also addresses the early Hausaland history,the development of the Muslim in Northern Nigeria and the proper treatment of women by the Hausa muslim.This is a very rich book about the Africans and an essential read for anyone seeking insight into the Africa unknown past.

Intellectual Traditions of Pre-Colonial Africa is the most comprehensive representation of Africa's rich cultural heritage that I have seen in print. This is the Africa that white history books try to pretend doesn't exist! Dr. Hilliard completely destroys the myth of Africa as a backward, uncivilized and illiterate continent of savages. Africa has long been considered to be the cradle of civilization. With such a long history it makes sense that Africa would be full of rich oral and intellectual traditions, many of which Dr. Hilliard has addressed in her book. Its a wonder that no one has written a book like this before. Anyone with more than a passing interest in Africa's cultural heritage should read this book. It is the ultimate reference on African culture.

Dr. Hilliard, transcends the limitations of academia to provide viable insight into a people with stark honesty and innate wisdom. Often misrepresented and misunderstood, she avoids this trap by presenting the traditions as a representation of an intellectual system....without extraction, for the Western mind to perceive. A remarkable accomplishment, and generous gift.

Y.Dubel

This analytical survey of the political climate vis a vis the Jewish community in the 1980's was remarkably prescient in scope and still serves as the textbook for political surveys.

No other book has painted a more vivid and insightful portrait of Jewish life in modern South Africa. Its perspective is unique, offering us an insider's view of the inner-most thoughts and feelings of South Africa's political elite.

The book provides a profound insight in the political climate of South Africa as it relates to the Jews in that country. Unique personal vignettes of the political movers and shakers of South Africa can be found in the books pages.

In Past To Present, photographer Joan Almond has documented village life in Moslem desert communities for over twenty-five years: her travels and discoveries are documented in a work that shares her photos and many cultural insights. The photos are presented as full-page images unsullied by description; the text resides in the front for a fine introduction of Almond's efforts.

Enhanced with a brief but informative introduction by Karen Sinsheimer and Roberto Tejada's insightful essay, Joan Almond: The Past In The Present showcases an amazing and impressive photographic journey by documentary photographer Joan Almond through the Islamic desert communities of North Africa, Egypt, and the Middle East in a outstanding anthology of images featuring ordinary village people and daily life in a profound black-and-white photography that fully captures the spirit of a land and its people. Brief thoughts and a short essay or two are interspersed between the lengthy sections of captivating photographs. An extraordinary look at the human culture and the daily quest to survive and prosper, Joan Almond: The Past In The Present is a very highly recommended and enduring contribution to personal, professional, and academic collections.

Almond has spent over 25 years photographing the life of Muslem people in Third World settings, following their rituals, religion, and personal lives. Almond Eyed: Past In Present presents location shots of these groups, displaying a set of images which have almost vanished from the world. From faces to architectural wonders, this packs in fine coverage.

This is a wonderful book. I speny a good deal of time in Turkana in 2000 and this book truly captures what Turkana is like. It is very moving and beautiful. I recommend it to anyone who has a heart for the struggles of other human beings and especially those who love African culture.

A very informative book of a country not covered by the media. The photographs bring the reader to an understanding of the plights these people face in everyday life

Featuring a Foreword by the Dalai Lama, Kakuma - Turkana: Dueling Struggles, Africa's Forgotten Peoples by Daniel Cheng Yang offers the nonspecialist general reader a profound interesting photographic journal of the struggles of the indigenous peoples of northwest Kenya. The emotional and unforgettable black-and-white photographs capture the harsh reality of life in lands with highly limited resources in an unforgettable compendium of images and commentary. Kakuma - Turkana is highly recommended photo-documentary for African Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

This book saves you the discomfort of a trip deep into the African Jungle: I have never read such a detailed description of the real 'Circle of Life' in Africa. Mr. Daems tells us the story of Kianza's life, starting with the first encounter of Kianza's father with white people, up to the independence of Congo. Tales of slavery, intiation rites, secret societies, local politics and economics, all these subjects are demystified in this book by Kianza himself. Kianza is not just a first row spectator but a participant himself. The arrival of white man however disrupted the existing fragile social structures which had evolved out of several thousands of years of trying to live in harmony with nature. "Kianza however did not oppose progress blindly, but it was blind progress that he opposed."

Kianza's Congo is the inside story of black life in the Congo. Written by a man who lived 10 years with the tribes. He spoke their language, witnessed their customs, and learned of secret rituals.

The life of Chief Kianza is told in Kianza's own words and translated by his confidant Mr. Daems. The book includes suspense, sex, politics, power, and even an experience of slavery. To be accepted in the male elite clan you must pass tough rituals, or die trying. These and more are described in this excellent book. This is REAL AFRICAN LIFE.

I own over a thousands books on a wide range of subjects regarding Africa. This is THE BEST book in plain english about what life is like in a central african tribe from the perspective on an African. I have also traveled to the congo and other countries for research. This book gets it right, helping to create a cohesive picture of life there without a bunch on anthropological, higher instition speak. A must, must read.

Note the this book would have a 5 star overall rating except someone who wrote a positive review forgot to vote.

This book is a great fictional adventure.The authors imagination
and humor shows up in this great story.I am no child and I loved it.Anyone know if there will be a sequil?

I have read this book several times.I enjoyed it as much as my grand children did.There are very interesting characters in this story.It will keep you laughing.Main characters,Chuck and Bobob are so funny together.I really can't wait fot the sequal.
I highly recommend it for children from 8 to 88.Quick and easy reading.Once you start it ,you won't want to put it down,It's one funny adventure after another.Very refreshing,non violent,
Good clean humor.Author should be commended for his work.Great stuff.A+

The book kept both the attention of the kids but was interesting for adults. The adventure forces the reader to create images in your mind of each place in the book.

We were very fortunate to visit Londolozi on several occassions whilst living in South Africa. Lex Hes was a ranger there in the 80's and we had some fantastic game spotting. Lex is extremley professional and very passionate about his work. He is one of the Worlds best wild life photographers. I bought my Father Leopards of Londolozi as he also visited on several occassions from the UK. I will have to hope my Father leaves me this book in his Will now that it is out of publication. Lex's passion rubbed off on us and we have spent many many hours watching game and have the most fantastic memories.You can smell the bush when you look at this book it gives me the goose bumps.
Sharon Oliver, Brisbane, Australia.

We visited Londolozi a number of times in the early 1980-1985 era. Lex Hes was then a ranger at Londolozi. He and his wife were wonderful friends to nature and to Londolozi guests. Lex now has a ranger training school/business in South Africa. I bought the book a while back because we know Lex. Now I'll keep it under wraps knowing it's a collector's item.

Londolozi is now much more expensive than it was in the 80s but we'd go back in an instant if time and money allowed. Hawai'i is far away...the antipode of Botswana.

I visited Londolozi in May 2001 for 4 days. Incredible experience. I saw this book there. Someone had brought it with him to Londolozi, but was unable to purchase a copy in South Africa. I want this book very much and have Amazon.com looking for one for me. It is a wonderful book. Would it benefit someone who had not been to Londolozi? Yes, very much!

Once you see the leopards of Londolozi you're life is changed forever. It's in the catagory of seeing the Northern Lights. You are never the same again.

Do purchase this book-----but only after I get a copy of my own.