Africa Books

This book has information and pictures of some mummies that aren't in a lot of other books. Although some famous mummies like Otzi and Juanita aren't in here, other mummies that you might not find in most places are here. If you want to build your 'mummy repertoire,' you'lll find a few new ones here.

I found the book Tales Mummies Tell fascinating. This book is a mix of mystery and fact all in one! I recommend this book to people from years 11-adult because of the interesting,comprehendable information in it. I enjoyed this book because of my curiousity for it's subject. The book tells about preservation of mummies, the mummification proccess of mummies in Ancient Egypt, bodies found in bogs in Denmark, Ramesses III, and many more mindboggling facts. So if you are interested in this topic then I would suggest you read this book.

I found the book Tales Mummies Tell fascinating. This book is a mix of mystery and fact all in one! I recommend this book to people from years 11-adult because of the interesting,comprehendable information in it. I enjoyed this book because of my curiousity for it's subject. The book tells about preservation of mummies, the mummification proccess of mummies in Ancient Egypt, bodies found in bogs in Denmark, Ramesses III, and many more mindboggling facts. So if you are interested in this topic then I would suggest you read this book.

Following rapidly on the heels of "When you know that you know that you know!" comes 'Tarnished Idols', a story which clearly stems from the writer's early experience as a journalist. As used to be the case with so many of her books written in South Africa, before she immigrated to Canada , it is mainly set in a newspaper office, and provides an absorbing picture of what the production of a daily paper entailed before the advent of computers. She is known to paint human relationships very vividly, and this she does in Tarnished Idols. with an intensity which is, in some ways, a departure from the kind of story she loves to tell. South Africa is at war in the nineteen-forties, and this book deals with the consequences of love at first sight, and the enduring passion of a teenager for an air force pilot.

Her characters are so real you want to shake them because of some of the antics they indulge in. She has woven another gripping tale - set in her beautiful South Africa - which is difficult to put down. She is a keen observer of human frailty and most, if not all, her characters are based on people she has known. The course of true love certainly does not run smooth, but the author manages to bring all the characters into their right places by the end. Enjoy!

Her characters are so real that you want to shake them because of some of the antics they indulge in. Again she has woven a gripping tale - set in her beautiful South Africa - which is difficult to put down.

She is a keen observer of human frailty and most,if not all,her characters are based on people she has known. The course of true love certainly does not run smooth, but the author always manages to bring all the characters into their right places by the end.

This book is an excellent source for seeing the experience of apartheid from which the theory of black consciousness emerged. Biko lucidly articulates both the people and the regime he found himself in conflict with, and parallel's between his appraisal and his idea's are made clear. A must read for anyone who wants to get a full understanding of black consciousness.

Steve Biko's movement, Black Consciousness, is most fully articulated in his book "I Write What I Like," however, the testimony of Biko adds a crucial dimension to any understanding of Black Consciousness. It offers insight into the man behind the idea's, and offers crucial information about Biko's experience as a black man in South Africa. This information is necessary for a true understanding of what Biko writes, as he offers a lucid picture of the black experience during Apartheid. I have yet to find another writer with such tremendous insight into the oppressive nature of the Apartheid regime, and any oppresive regime in general. This book is a must read for anyone interested in understanding the oppressed mind.

This book is an excellent source for seeing the experience of apartheid from which the theory of black consciousness emerged. Biko lucidly articulates both the people and the regime he found himself in conflict with, and parallel's between his appraisal and his idea's are made clear. A must read for anyone who wants to get a full understanding of black consciousness.

Sankara was a great revolutionary, not just a fighter, not just defiant, but a thinker, a man who sought to united the working masses of his country against imperialism and for progress. Reading his writings give wisdom not just to African revolutionists, but to anyone in the world who thinking about how to defend working people against the imperialist offensive, how to move his people to progress.

In this regard Sankara's writings are important because he is not a phony leftist spouting rhetoric, but a thinking leader of his people trying to educate, trying to involve and trying to give leadership to the peasants, the women, the workers, because he knew real revolutions are made not by leaders or elites, but by the masses.

In this Sankara reminds me very much of another fighting leader, a man Sankara worked with and stood shoulder to should with Fidel Castro. Imperialism and reaction may have silenced Thomas Sankara's body, but as long as these words are available, his ideas will never stop leading people in struggle in Africa and in the world. We should honor his sacrifice by studying his words!

While this book is sometimes not available on Amazon, it is always available from booksfrompathfinder a vendor you can find by clicking on New and Used toward the top of the page.

This book had a tremendous impact on my personal and political ideology. It had so much impact that I named my first child Sankara! "Thomas Sankara Speaks" is a must read for all aspiring revolutionaries. Brother Sankara, exemplifies the importance of Pan-Africanism as a solution for all people of African descent. He also emphasizes the importance of international solidarity of all oppressed people. "He who loves his own people also loves other people." Thomas Sankara is one of many heroes that suffered from imperialism's bullets. Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr. Patrice Lumumba, Augusto Sandino, Amilcar Cabral, Maurice Bishop and now Thomas Sankara speak from the grave, "Don't Shoot...You Can Not Kill Ideas!"

Study, Understand, Expose The Enemy!
Adeymi Joashan

Thomas Sankara was a giant among men, One only needs to read this book to see where Burkina Faso (indeed Africa) could have been today, if only he had been allowed to live. We learn about the man's vision for all aspects of life; children, women, economy, governance and the like. A must read for all Africans and friends of Africa. Mukhtar Dan'Iyan

I first found this book in the lounge of a game lodge in South Africa, and had quite a time tracking down a copy. To classify this as a children's book, as the bookstore I found it in has, is clearly robbing many adults of the incredible experience of its pages. My three kids all love it, but why should they have all the fun?? The photography is absolutely amazing, just as Tippi's childhood must certainly have been. No one harbouring a love of Africa, it's wildlife, the innocence of childhood or good photography should miss this.

In town today when buying Easter books for the kids I found Tippi in Africa for my 7 years old. I have been to Africa several times, and now wants to bring my family, but they always say no, they don't want to go to Africa where there are dangerous animals, where there is poverty and the water is not clean. So I found this book the perfect present for my daughter.

We read the book right away when we came home, and what a treasure. The book tells about Tippi's childhood. The daughter of French nature photographers she spends most of her childhood in Africa. And growing up against the wild animals she and her surrondings soon discover that she has a very special ability to speak with the animals.

The book is filled with amazing photographs, and anecdotes from Tippi's childhood. Who can resist starting to dream about Africa after reading this book.

Thanks Tippi for sharing your life with us.

Britt Arnhild Lindland

Excellent. I've got the book today from amazon Germany. Now I want to read Tippi's very unique way to express herself in English.120 extrem beautiful photographs,done by her parents Sylvie and Alain Degre, give us an insight of her unusual childhood, grewing up in Africa. A nice gift for children and adults who want to see the world in it's beauty through children's eyes. Tippi lives now in Paris. I hope, she can save her experiences for life she obtained in Africa, for her future.

This account of a mission established, accomplished and continuing is not only inspiring but dynamic in overcoming obstacles and rejoicing in successes. It challenges one's faith
to endure and soar through Christ's help. Difficult to lay the
book down!

"Passion" is the best word to describe the level of commitment of the Foulkes family to serve as medical missionaries in Zambia. The depth of their sacrifice, the length of their desire to reach people with the Truth, the height of their faith in God, and the width of their love for God's people were passionate. I could not put the book down, and when I had finished, wanted to share the book and its message with others. This family touched my family deeply, even before the book, as my grandmother had been a prayer warrior for them while they were on the mission field.

This book really inspires me to be a better person for Christ by helping others. I won't ever be a doctor and probably can't ever visit Africa, but this book takes you there without ever leaving your home. What Dr. Foulkes has been through losing some of his family and staying in Africa to make sure the people were brought the message of Christ is truly heart touching. I think this is a wonderful book and recommend it others.

I am an elementary art teacher, and I read this book to my first graders when we were talking about African art. They absolutely loved the story! By the end of the book, they were reciting the repeating phrases with me. Then they wanted me to read the whole story all over again. I seldom get such an ethusiastic response from my students when I read to them. The artwork in the book is very reminiscent of African art and goes along very well with an art project we make when talking about Africa. This book is a wonderful addition to a unit on Africa.

The artwork is rich, detailed, amusing, and simultaneously illustrates different lines of the story--that is, in the background, are shown the line about the characters running up hill and down, while in the foreground the next phase and character of the story is depicted. Also each of the talking items floats in the background space, so you have lots of things to point out and talk about with the little ones--or just go for the story, it's fun. The colors and the dress of the people match what we see in W. Africa. My child enjoyed an animated reading from the age of 18 months. The story is a traditional one as well, which lends to the overall richness. I have a number of children's books depicting W. Africa, and this and Trina Schart Hyman's Fortune Teller are my favorites for their beauty, detail, and their faithfulness to the scene here. To the Sweet Shores of Africa, is another beauty as well---this one is poems with beautiful pictures.

Talking yams are only the beginning of this simple and hysterically hyperdramatic retelling of an old Ashanti tale. When a farmer encounters a talking yam and runs and tells a fisherman, the fish talks, assuring him such a thing can't happen. Panic and hilarity ensues in the brief text and stylized pictures.


This is one of those folktales that can be introduced to children of any age, and lends itself especially well to read-aloud for groups of children. Read-aloud works especially well with plenty of movement on the part of the reader, and encourages participation. Each talking creature or object invites the children to respond with a heartfelt "Aiyeee!" as the growing number of people run on, until they reach the king, for the inevitable conclusion. The story isn't meant to be a serious one, and the method of telling and illustrations support this humorous, almost comic strip kind of storyline. The large text on each page is short and to the point, making it accessible to even very young children.

The art is lovely to look at--and you can see the African styling of it. Stefano Vitale has crafted a very vivid collection of images for this story. However, there does seem to be some mixture of African styles, according to some professional reviews, and this may be less well received by those familiar with regional African art styles. In my case, however, the stylized art and various elements of African imagery allow for children to get some exposure to this sort of art and style.

As to the story itself, it appears to be an old folktale from Ghana, and an amusing one at that. I've seen another version of this story in "Anansi and The Talking Melon" by Eric Kimmel--one of the trickster tales where the cunning spider causes havoc by making a melon seem to talk. I'm not quite certain if these stories have the same origin, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did. Folktales are an important part of a balanced book diet, and it's often hard to find extremely simple ones for the youngest readers and listeners. This book is ideal on both counts. If you enjoy this, I reccomend checking out other Trickster tales such as Raven: Trickster Tales from the Pacific Northwest by Gerald McDermott and The Monkey and the Crocodile: I Jataka Tale from India by Paul Galdone.

Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad

I knew nothing beyond the basics of apartheid in South Africa until I read Harry Bloom's incredibly powerful book. Even now, I cannot claim that this book has made me an expert, far from it, in fact. But, I have a much greater appreciation of what like was like in the Transvaal (or black locations) in South Africa. Even though the title is a work of fiction, I believe that the reader will get a much greater understanding on this topic. (And like other reviewers, I admit I picked this up because it is written by Orlando Bloom's father.I will use any excuse to pick up a new and different book! )

Bloom's story is set in the fictional town of Nelstroom, S. Africa. We are introduced to two main characters, Du Toit, the location manager and Mabaso; a black man who has come from Johannesburg with the hopes of easing the hardships of life in the location. Du Toit begins his job with the best of intentions, trying to make life better while still enforcing the laws of apartheid. He will eventually, of course, give in to the higher ups. Mabaso is an educated man. He makes the people of the location aware of how they suffer. And we all know education is a powerful thing. The people who stand behind these two men will clash and begin to rebel against each other. This is a book you know will not have a happy ending from the first page.

Since I can't find the words from my own experiences to describe the total unfairness and confusion of apartheid, I would like to take a quote from the book, which stuck with me from the point I read it until I finished and long after that. "Facts are twisted, illusions fostered, truth destroyed to prove that the perverted is normal, the sordid noble, the brutal beautiful, the guilty innocent, the coward a hero, disaster a victory-and the reverse of all these things."(Pgs 277-278). Harry Bloom was imprisoned for writing this book, that alone is testament to its truth. Despite its heavy subject, it is a great, fast paced read. And a book that will stick with you for a lifetime.

Walter Mabaso, a black freedom fighter who comes to Nelstroom, a fictional town in Africa, and Hendrik Du Toit, the newly arrived white Manager for Nelstroom's "Location," the segregated ghetto where the African population must live, are the two major characters whose psyches and lives Harry Bloom explores with the skill of a literary surgeon. They and the other characters are strikingly drawn, reminding me of the clarity of characterization in John Steinbeck's GRAPES OF WRATH. Both novels deal with dispossesed people struggling to salvage their lives and their dignity against poverty and oppression, except in Bloom's gentle masterpiece, the oppressors are the proponents of apartheid in South Africa. Now we live in a world where Nelson Mandela has triumphed, but Bloom's story takes us to the early days of the fight for racial equality, and goes beyond it. The plot is elegantly structured to show how oppressive governments create a vicious system where the victim becomes the human fuel it runs upon, until the ruling class' blithe disregard for the human rights of the under class ignites into a storm of confrontation . . . one so volatile that no cover-up can sweep away the ashes. Add to this a use of language that is so concise, every word builds a sparse clear picture in the reader's mind and eye. Transvaal Episode won the British Authors Club Award in 1957 for best novel of the year. What amazes me is how the characters and events in this novel could be equally played out today in other countries where human right struggles are still ongoing. This novel should be required reading for anyone dealing with national and international politics and power. It teaches us to understand how easily those in power can brainwash us into believing what we think we see, when we're really seeing what they want us to, and the true picture is totally different. A book for all people, all countries.

I must admit that I originally picked up this book for the curiosity factor of it having been written by actor Orlando Bloom's father. However, from the very first page the gripping tale of oppression, hopelessness, and desperation in South Africa sucked me in like few novels I can remember. The writing style was lush in its descriptive power, and the author's intimate knowledge of both the people and the problems of the region shines through page after page. Although one knows from the very first page that this tale will *not* have a happy ending, even in its horror the conclusion makes perfect sense and holds one until the very last paragraph. The one minor gripe I had with the novel was the shifting perspective and timeline; however, both were required to gain a full sense of the events and the insanity behind them. This is a serious work for the serious reader and definitely worth more than a single reading. I highly recommend this work.

Incredible story of trekking from Namibia's Atlantic Coast to the Indian Ocean (ending up at Zanzibar). Although the author's attacked by neither man nor beast (just insects aplenty), he has his share of troubles, starting with recalitrant wild donkeys, and finishing up with a week of malaria treatment (apologies if that proves a spoiler). Terrific writing skills and a great sense of humor make this book one of my top books for the year. Highly recommended.

It's hard to read many travel books without a sense of 'Why? Why are you putting yourself through all this?' and Traversa is no exception. Those who sit at home may not understand what drives some people to these lengths, but that doesn't stop us lapping it up and asking for more.

In this enthralling book, Sandham brings his solo walk from the aptly-named Skeleton Coast to the Indian Ocean to life. He comes across, variously, as courageous, determined, bloody-minded, and completely insane. By the end of the book, it's easy to feel, as he does, that he has earned his right to be in Africa, even among people so poor that a man who has scrimped, saved and given up chocolate biscuits to be there, is immeasurably rich.

Throughout, Sandham places his experiences in a historical context, evoking the horror of being preserved from shipwreck only to die of thirst, the shame and waste of the slave trade, and butchery in wars over territory that match anything Europe has achieved in that line. As his traversa progresses, he moves from a theoretical understanding of Africa to a genuine affection for the place and its people.

The book is filled with dry self-deprecation and humour--there's a disastrous donkey, and we can only imagine Sandham's problems with his mule, as he declines to go into details--and some of the characters he meets are portrayed as so much larger than life that there's a temptation to believe they're imaginary. Perhaps the best example of the man's courage is when, having invested time, effort and money in a donkey (diseased), a donkey-cart (beautifully painted), and a mule (disobedient), he's able to walk away from all three. Many people would have persisted even in the face of so much discouragement, but Sandham knows when to cut his losses. He probably wouldn't have made it across Africa without that knowledge.

Apart from the not-so-tame domestic animals, there's lions. Real, live, traveller-eating lions. Fortunately, the threat they pose is more perceived than actual; some people have been eaten, but Sandham gets through. There's also explosive diarrhea, a very unpleasant, if probably inevitable, attack of malaria, and, of course, blisters. Yet day after day, he gets up, and gets going. Even after side trips to investigate mules or donkeys, he insists on being driven back to the point where he stopped walking, so he can start again. He knows when he's idled somewhere too long, and somehow gets himself going. There's no cheating on this journey, even though the temptations must have been enormous.

This book entertained and saddened me by turns, and I heartily recommend it--reading what Sandham has to say is the only way even partially to answer the question, 'Why?'.

[review written by Debbie Moorhouse of GUD Magazine]

There are many things to admire about Mr. Sandham's book: the fact that he underwent great hardship at times in order to write it; the way in which he has unveiled some little-known parts of Africa to a wider audience; or his eloquent turn of phrase and sometimes biting self-deprecating humour. But what stands out for me is in the way which he stuck to his task and wasn't seduced by the touristic, bombastic way to travel through a country. I don't mean that he didn't occasionally stay in a hostel,(after hundreds of kilometres across lion country you might too), or that he didn't occasionally eat Western-style foods in souless supermarkets. What I mean is that he stuck to the task at hand and didn't go to see something or attempt to do something just because a guidebook said he should. It is extremely hard sometimes to resist the pull of the mass-market. I myself have been to countries where I thought I had been to every 'must-see' site in an area and then found that to my disappointment there was one I had missed. But those were not the real experiences and stories which will stay with me. Real meaning can be found in the tapestry of human interactions and the beat of a way of life different to your own. In an era of travel being accessible to so many more people, how refreshing to hear an account of someone who decided to tread a more personal path.

Mr. Sandham did things 'his way' and I am sure his mentors Messrs. Livingstone, Stanley et al, would be proud.

I wasn't certain what to expect when I got this book. I was a bit concerned that since it was written about experiences in the 1960's that it would feel a bit dated. Although the 1960's view of the future of East Africa's peoples and wildlife is not entirely accurate, I am finding the book to be an excellent way to prepare for a trip to Tanzania--for someone wanting a combination of background on the peoples, landscape and wildlife. Matthiessen's usual subdued, to me, dry style seems leavened a bit by his awe. And the account of the elephant researcher who's 'close encounter' approach puts Matthiessen off his feed, was really enjoyable to me--a departure from his usual, very dry approach. I recommend this one to anyone interested in the peoples and wildlife of Eastern Africa.

Is there anyplace wild enough to lift the weight that Occidental culture has placed on our shoulders? Africa, where the first man walked erect, may be the last place where man can feel awed enough by Nature to try and remember that he, also, is just another among the millions of other species that populate the planet. Paul Bowles, Bruce Chatwin, Doris Lessing, Isaak Dinesen and Peter Mattieshen found that answer, and shared the experience. In Mattieshen's poetic account, the tragic and fabulous beauty of a continent that has been devastated by greed and war is revealed, as the impossibility of traveling Africa and not falling in love with it and being changed by it forever.

This is one my very favorite of Matthiessen's impressive canon, ranking easily with Far Tortuga and The Snow Leopard. Indeed, I think some of the passages in The Tree Where Man Was Born might surpass the stunning Himalaya descriptions in the latter book. Matthiessen's eye for landscapes is unparalleled, and his lyric evocations of beast and horizon have an otherworldly quality. A prime example, and one to look out for, is his account of finding rhinoceros tracks on the high volcanic slopes of Mt. Lengai. Another highlight are his crystalline observations of ecological moments during a vigil atop an East African kopje.