Africa Books

One of the hardest things when working in the anti-apartheid movement was to understand the mindset of the average white South African. What on Earth were those people thinking and why? When reading Hugo's book, with all its harsh language, I'm for the first time offered a credible explanation, a chance to try to understand how this could have happened. I don't think Hugo's story could have been told in any other way; I get disgusted, I laugh and cry,whilst following Hugo through his life. But I also find an honesty that makes me think, and think again. Life is not a negative in black and white, especially not during the apartheid-era. Hugo wears his heart on his sleeve and it's painful to share his experiences. But the book sheds light on the near brainwash many a white South African was subjected to and in washing the dirty linen of a racist regime in public, the book is important if we want to prevent history from ever repeating itself.
I highly recommend this brilliant book to all the millions of people involved in the anti-apartheid movement all over the world.
It is a very good read.

So this book, "Africa Will Always Break Your Heart" by Gerrie Hugo is an intense and very unique book. It is a memoir, an autobiography of sorts, about a man (Gerrie Hugo) who participated in Apartheid in South Africa but later came to his senses. It is a brutually honest account, as the reader will get that from the very first page. The writing style is informal, with some swear words here and there but it brings an air of authenticity to the book. It is a fairly fast read and I definitely enjoyed reading it. The chapters are only a few pages long so it makes you feel as if you have accomplished a lot (which I really liked).

A few things of note, you definitely have to be open minded when going into this book and it's definitely not for everyone. It's for a "mature" audience as there are a couple chapters which lean on the side of being slightly [...]. To me, those parts didn't need to be in the book for it to be successful, however, I don't think it detracted from the book as a whole too much. That being said, I really did like this book. It was very different from many books I have read and gives an unique perspective into the whole issue of Apartheid. I loved the brutal honesty as well as the humor that was woven into the work. I recommend this for anyone who is interested in a completely different book and is interested in finding out what Apartheid was like for someone who actively participated in it and his thoughts on it now. Be prepared for a very honest work with some "rough" language from time to time, which only adds to it's authenticity.

Having returned from Africa recently and seen the book there I knew I wanted it in my library upon my
return. It's a beautiful book and helps one become more informed about the big five animals in Africa.

An excellent addition to any personal or library bookshelf! Very interesting text and stories accompany an abundance of quality photograhs with an appealing layout. Highly recommend.

These are set in eight different African countries and grew out of the author's experiences as a State Department officer on the Congo during the 1960s. While they are more literary in content, they also portray Africa during its formative years just after its colonial regimes had dissolved, providing important keys to African history and culture.

Each story I read in this entertaining collection takes me a little closer to Africa. I willingly surrender to the heat, the exhilaration, the frustration, the wonder, and the beauty of a continent. The images stay with me long after I've put the book down, and I find myself thinking about Africa in my daydreams instead of golf.

I also feel like I've made a dozen new friends. I have to remind myself that they are just characters. The stories are good. They are honest, and Hunter shares insights that make me feel richer for having read them. I'd like to read more.

Culturegrams is a "must have" for anyone in the travel industry, avid travelers, culture buffs and amateur anthropologist. Culturegrams introduces the reader, in four pages, to the daily customs and lifestyles of 174 societies. The background, the people, custom courtesies, lifestyle, society and "for the traveler" sections are found in each four page breakdown. The two volumes set (The America's & Europe and Africa, Asia & Oceania) cover the world by and large.

High speed travel has shrunk our world and made every other culture our neighbor. Culturgrams is a needed tool for all those in the travel industry and a wonderful reference guide for all who seek to understand their neighbors better. Highly recommended.

I have this book and it is a great to introduce children of all ages to different cultures without going into too much information that may confuse them. I've used mine with my 4 and 5 year olds to study/introduce different culturesand concepts to them. It's great! I recommend it to teachers and parents.

What a great read! If you want to walk in the footsteps of great explorers, along with modern day adventures, this is the book for you.

Kingsley Holgate is a self-proclaimed 'romantic adventurer' inspired by African explorers of the past: he's traveled the African continent with his family in the past decade and here blends his travelogue with history, following the paths of early African explorers. Color photos pack chapters filled with adventure, from 'A Journey Down the Congo' to 'Chuma and Susi: Two Unsung Heroes of African Exploration'. While this could also have been featured in our History or Travel shelves, it's reviewed here as a 'Reviewer's Choice' selection for the widest possible audience: both public libraries with general lending audiences and collections strong in African history and culture will find it a riveting read, packed with color photos unusual to this subject.

This memoire builds as you read it and becomes a cannot put down book. I thoroughly enjoyed the book from start to finish. The author has a frank but well thoughtout and honest description of life and the business of humanitarion aid in many parts of the world. I do recommend this book.

A great book that really makes you think. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is planning on or is considering working for a humanitarian organization, or who is planning on doing mission work in Africa or other parts of the third world.

Hama Tuma's collection of satirical articles would be well classified as funny had they not dealt with serious matters and used satire only as a vehicle to dissect the reality in all its facets. Hama Tuma has once again proved himself an adept and a master of the satire, a quality he proved he had in surplus when he gave us The Case of the Socialist Witchdoctor and Other stories back in 1993 (Heinemann Books).The African survives the grave odds through humor.Hama Tuma is the best example of how this does happen.I strongly recommend Tuma's books to all.

In African Absurdities,Hama Tuma, the famous Ethiopian writer, has really surpassed himself.Tongue in cheek and with irony and humor as his weapon he dissects the African political scne which he knows so well. You laugh as you read these articles but the serious message does get through. Beyond the African reality, Hams Tuma is commentin on human existence as a whole, on the folly of prejudices and double standards.Kabila never got the chance to romance Monika Lewinsky but you wonder along with Ham what if.The politically incorrect articles in African Absurdities are a great read and I recommend it to all people of all races.

Margaret Courtney-Clarke takes you into the compounds and into the dwellings of African village women. The colors and forms are exquisite. The book is beautifully produced with images that bleed to the edge of the page. The subjects are depicted in naturalistic settings and Courtney-Clarke has the technical skill to capture close-ups and groups of women equally well. The book serves as a textbook of healthy human structure and movement and is all the more valuable because the way of life it depicts and the body language that goes with that way of life are becoming increasingly rare. Very highly recommended.

The most striking feature of AFRICAN CANVAS is the close up detail and large pictures of exterior and interior West African mud house design. Some pottery design is also featured. Colors are mostly earth toned because natural pigments are used. A close-up and personal look at this beautiful art form, and a good resource for folks interested in ethnology and in African design.

The Politics of Permanent Crisis is simply one of the best books on contemporary Africa to come out for ages. The author, who has been writing sensibly on Africa, political reform, and foreign aid issues for many years, takes on a whole range of often contradictory academic work to help explain why Africa has been unable to grow faster despite increasingly levels of external financial assistance. Van de Walle argues coherently that local politics within many African countries have combined with donor practices to militate against the fundamental changes required for African economies to take-off. Seen in this light, the lack of reforms and disappointing outcomes from foreign aid in Africa are not mysteries, but rather the logical outcomes of the incentives under which the various players operate. This is a seminal contribution to our understanding of Africa's economic and political dilemmas -- and an excellent complement to Bill Easterly's "The Elusive Quest for Growth". If there is any shortcoming in the book, it is a minor quibble that van de Walle seems too dismissive of the role of individual leaders in sparking recovery (e.g., surely, Jerry Rawlings and Yoweri Museveni deserve some personal credit for turning Ghana and Uganda around). This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Africa's development challenges and the role of the international community.

Nicolas van de Walle's prize-winning book explains the puzzle of African exceptionalism with an intelligent and nuanced framework. Focusing on the politics behind the seemingly permanent crisis, van de Walle explains the pervasive rise of neopatrimonial rule on the continent -- a political system that depends on patronage and clientelism, and which is a feature of many low-income, largely subsistence-based polities around the world. Van de Walle's dual training in economics and political science, and his extensive experience living and working in many of the countries of the sub-continent, make this book deep, broad, and credible. I've recommended it to many who want to understand what is behind their t.v. screens: why has poverty grown in Africa? Why is this the region most troubled by small-scale political wars? Its scholarly but accessible style, complimented by extensive footnotes and references, also make this an excellent book for students.

The price tag of AFRICAN ELEGANCE represents a bargain for an oversized feature loaded with full-page color photos throughout: any university art library and quite a few community library general lending collections will find it an outstanding addition to any African cultures section. Author Etagale Blauer's years of travel in Africa lends to his feature and interpretation of the masks and ritual objects which are a part of African cultural beliefs and values. Displays link cultural traditions to materials, adaptations, and choices in artistic rendering. Highly recommended: a top value and a top pick.

This is a beautiful book, full of gorgeous color photos. It highlights the unique and extrordinary costumes of the peoples of africa. A delight!