Africa Books

Patrick Chabal's Amilcar Cabral is a first-rate political biography of Amilcar Cabral. Indeed, this work is the most thorough, critical, and objective source of information and analysis of this important African democratic revolutionary that I have come across. Chabal tells a thorough and compelling story of Cabral and critically analyzes the development of his revolutionary philosophy and political skills within the context of colonial Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau. I highly recommend this work to anyone looking for a rigorous source on this important democratic philosopher and African revolutionary. Chabal also gives us a detailed contextual account of Cape Verde and "Portuguese Guinea," and the PAIGC (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde) during Cabral's time.

The book does an excellent job of enlightening readers about the life and achievements of Amilcar Cabral, one of Africa's finest liberation war fighters and leader and thinker. Below are some of the highlights in the book.

Amilcar Lopes Cabral was born in 1924. He was born in the Portuguese colony of Guinea (now Guinea Bissau). He received his education in Lisbon, Portugal and was an agronomic engineer. While studying in Lisbon, he founded student movements dedicated to African nationalism.

He returned home in the 1950s, and began forming independence movements on the continent. He was instrumental in the formation of the PAIGC (Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde, (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde). He also worked with Agostino Neto to form a liberation party in Angola, the Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).

From 1962, Cabral led the PAIGC in a war of liberation against the Portuguese imperial forces for the independence of Portuguese Guinea and Cape Verde. Over the course of the conflict, the party won land gains, and Cabral was made the de facto leader of large tracks of land in Guinea-Bissau. In 1972, Cabral began to form a People's Assembly in preparation for the country's independent. However, he was assassinated in Conakry in January 1973 before he could see his country's independence. He was assassinated at the hands of Portuguese agents in Conakry, capital of the Republic of Guinea, whose president is Sekou Toure.

The assassination of Amilcar Cabral brought no joy for the Portuguese Army as the guerrilla fighters intensified their struggle. In March 1973, the guerrillas acquired a new weapon namely Stella, ground-to-air missile which effectively neutralized the air superiority of the Portuguese Army. In September 24, in the forests of Madina do Boe, the PAIGC unilaterally declared the independence of Guinea-Bissau.
Cabral's is one of the greatest pan-African fighters to emerge from the continent. His military successes in Guinea inspired other liberation movements on the continent. He remains one of the greatest Pan African that the African continent has witnessed.

My daughters (ages 4.5 and 2) had the extreme joy of seeing Len Cabral tell this story in person this past summer. This book is a great follow-up for us, and my oldest loves to sound out the words.

This book was such a delight to read to my first grade class. They enjoyed the humorous tale of why spiders have narrow waists. The repetitive story captured and held their attention. A must read for all first graders.

I am sending this book to Professor Gewirtz at the Yale Law School for his course on Law and Literature, for it beautifully captures the conflict of a scholar steeped in the law confronted with an ironclad (and justified) belief in the mystical. Bottom line: human law loses, Claude Levi-Strauss and Carl Jung win. Also a great book for gaining a multi-dimensional insight into the complex and often overly simplified Afrikaner history / mindset.

The description of this book lead me to believe it was about an aboriginal tribe in South Africa. Instead, it is a DNA-helix of living and dead members of the Moolman family. Their ancestor, FounderAbel Moolman, was intelligent, domineering, and full of raw energy, qualities he needed to forge an empire in an untamed land. He also imposed a strong code of ethics on his descendents, a code that is inescapable even in death.

The story unfolds through the visit of a magistrate sent to investigate a tragedy in the family and the spiralling tale told by the living and the dead wraps around the reader and draws him along, spell-bound. Reading the end of most mysterious stories reveals the plot, but this tale can only be untangled with patience. Comprehension doesn't fully come until each page has been examined and unwound.

ANGELS IN AFRICA: Profiles of Seven Extraordinary Women (2006) by Beth O'Donnell & Kimberley Sevcik, documents seven African women working to overcome devastating problems in their African communities. Organized by country, each chapter of Angels in Africa introduces us to a remarkable woman who is tackling an issue that is particularly prevalent in that country. Ann Wanjiru represents 2,000 grassroots women of GROOTS Kenya; In Tanzania, Edina Yahana helped plant more than one million trees in an effort to save the rainforests from decimation; Celina Cossa, Founder and President of the General Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (UGC) of Mozambique, is one of the most respected women in Africa; In Rwanda, Pascasie Mukamunigo, a Tutsi woman brings together the Hutus and Tutsis through a community weaving project; We learn about the work of Prudence Mwandla of South Africa who has dedicated her life to sheltering AIDS orphans who had been abused, abandoned, sick, and hungry; Aminata Dieye of Senegal created a program that trains young girls in non-traditional jobs. In Senegal, that's not an easy thing to do, and Mme Dembélé Jacqueline Goïta, Directrice Exécutive, CARITAS of Mali, Fighting Poverty, Hunger, and Homelessness.

This is a beautiful book, with sensational stories and wonderful illustrations.
I thoroughly recommend it.

Discusses the stirring, often emotional events of the Natal Campaign of the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, when from Oct. 1899 to Feb. 1900 the British Army was pushed across the Tugela River, & heroes of the British Empire met their downfall. Bobs Roberts, George White, Redvers H. Buller, & Charles Warren had to appear before a Royal Comm. of Enquiry in London to answer why an apparently one-sided conflict could have cost so much in terms of men, money & material. This fresh investigation sheds new light on the controversial strategies, directives, opinions & reports which permeated every element of the campaign. Illustrated

The British Army, "with armaments and reserves that would be insufficient for a third class military power", was embarrassed by its poor showing (225 surrenders) against a force of scruffy farmers (Boers) in the Natal Campaign of 1899-1900.
After the war, so costly in men and money, a commission was established to review the conflict to examine the failures and correct the deficiencies. This book skillfully weaves the proceedings of that Commission with admirably readable narrartive to uniquely illuminate that unfortunate episode of history, the echoes of which can be heard yet today in South Africa.
"What did the Commiussion achieve? It changed the way Britain made war in the future. It changed the structure of command. It changed the attitude of the common soldier, and it spelt the end of the cavalry charge...".
And it laid the groundwork for the British Expeditionary Force of 1914, one of the finest armies in history.
Excellent reading for the general reader of military history, and essential for students of the Boer War and the British Army.
(The numerical rating above is a default setting within Amazon's format. This reviewer does not employ numerical ratings).

This little book is one that you can't help but wish that it had enough marketing money behind it to make it a big seller.

The basic subject is the nuclear program of South Africa as it was conducted in the 70's and 80's. South Africa of course has Uranium deposits (it seems to have deposits of everything).

After World War II the UN began passing resolutions calling for embargoes against South Africa. This caused the Govenment there to develop bunker mentality. They were involved with several Soviet Union backed insurgencies on their borders and since weapons were on the embargoed list, they began a weapons development program which produced some excellent conventional weapons such as the G5 and G6 cannons which are still sold on the world market. They also began a nuclear program.

This book has so many excellent points that it is difficult to say just how important it is:

It shows what effect embargoes really have on a country. We live in a time where quite a number of people still think that they should eventually work if applied to Iraq, Iran, North Korea, etc. It seems that embargoes really force the development of locally designed/built weapons rather than buying them outside. Somehow I don't think that the overall plan of an embargo is to tell a country, 'OK, we aren't going to sell you these things, you go develop them yourself.'

It has as short and succinct an explanation of the true usefullness of nuclear weapons I've ever seen. It mimics the work of the original people developing the American theories such as David Brodie and Herman Kahn. The difference is that the theories here apply to a small country rather than a super power.

It describes the organizational effort to set up a nuclear program to provide fuel for commercial reactors and on how to design a bomb. It was a huge effort, even after the Americans proved that it could be done. It then describes how to destroy the program when the need for it no longer exists.

Finally, in 1979 the Vela nuclear test detection satellite detected the characteristic twin peak green flash of a nuclear device going off in the South Atlantic. Most of us felt that this was a nuclear test by South Africa. The authors say 'nope.' At that that time South Africa had built only one nuclear device. It was a test device, extensively instrumented and too heavy for the planes South Africa had to be carried and dropped. Satellite malfunction? A red herring set off by another nuclear power to put world pressure on South Africa?

This book gives excellent insight into the reasons a nation would like to pursue nuclear arms. In South Africa's case it was due its isolation from the rest of the world, plus the fact that it had thousands of Cuban, Russian, East German and Angolan troops on its doorstep. Nuclear weapons seemed to be the only option left open as a deterrent.

It also shows that not all nations pursue this aim due to a fanatical sense of power, but it is usually because they feel threatened, and if needs be they will do all they can to reduce that threat. The sense of responsibility felt by the developers is very impressive, and also their courage to dismantle the awesome power to their disposal.

Policy makers could take some lessons away from this book, and hopefully gain some insight on how to deal with countries such as Iran and South Korea. A worthy addition to the bookshelf.

The Crisis magazine debuted in 1910 as the official voice of the NAACP. As editor for 24 years, W.E.B. Du Bois not only used words to address important issues facing African Americans, he used art to create a "visual vocabulary" to define a new collective memory and historical identity for African Americans. This book explores not only how this evolved within the pages of The Crisis, but also how Du Bois' own complex theories about art as a tool for empowerment evolved from 1910 to 1934.

For example, the prevailing notion at the time was that civilization emanated from Greece. Images of Africa (particularly Egypt) provided insight into the African origins of Western civilization, in no small part sparked by the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922.

But the flip side to that was primitivism, manifested in the sensual covers (with titles like "A Moorish Maid" and "A Jungle Nymph") reflecting the romantic notion that Africa was more sexually free and, as the author puts it, that "modern sex appeal, under the guise of the primitive, was permissible."

Du Bois believed he was "training the audience" to understand and appreciate creative work in literature and art, and used The Crisis to showcase black talent. As such, he also became a gatekeeper to the artistic world of the African American community. As the author says, "Du Bois wanted only the best and the brightest to represent the race, and he felt confident that he could judge who was `the best'..." Unfortunately, one wonders if he suffered a gender bias because some women artists - such as the renowned Augusta Savage - were found wanting.

The book also explores the history of black political cartoons, and an entire chapter is devoted to lynching imagery. Amply illustrated with 104 images, this is a timely book, since the centenary of The Crisis is rapidly approaching. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in African American Studies or graphic arts.

The critical eye of an artist coupled with keen historical interpretation produces a valuable and progressive work. Dr. Kirschke writes with a crisp, energetic and passionate style reflective of, and consistant with, her high energy and passion for all her work. As a teacher of American history at a visual and performing arts school, I find that Dr. Kirschke's work provides a wonderful coupling of the historic struggle for rights in America with the artistic expression of such in a manner that helps in the understanding of both.

"The Newark Museum's collection of African art is drawn from the entire continent. This selection of objects shows the diversity of the museum's holdings and the extraordinary creativity of African artists and craftsmen.

"With pictures on one side and descriptions on the other, these 48 fact-filled Knowledge Cards™ are a great source of condensed information--all in a deck the size of a pack of playing cards! Discover the most important and interesting facts about these influential people in a concise, stress-free compilation. A quick and stimulating supply of information, perfect for students, teachers, history buffs, and the purely inquisitive, this deck is sure to spark your curiosity and encourage you to delve deeper into this compelling subject. ISBN: 0-7649-1114-7; size: 3 1/4 x 4"."--© Pomegranate

This is a deck of knowledge cards like found in the game Trivial Pursuit, but slightly larger and much higher quality. There are 47 cards in the deck. One side has an image of a piece of African Art found in the Newark Museum collection. The other side gives a description, "Epa headdress (front view); artist Bamgboye (c. 1888-1878); Nigeria, Yoruba people, 1920."

"The Epa festival is a celebration of the cultural identity and solidarity of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria..."

I have ordered all the remaining inventory (2 packs) and hope they will produce more.

This book covers the complete evolution and development of tracking from the first hunter-gathers to today's hunter-trackers. In his explanations and discussion of tracking Mr. Liebenberg touches on and covers a wide range and field of topics; botany, zoology, anthropology, paleontology, and archaeology to name but a few areas. He explains his theories that the art of tracking may present a crucial step in the transition of early man to modern man. His work is not only backed up by his years of tracking and research but also by his many years of studying and living with primitive tribes; like the Kalahari hunters. I found this book to be the definitive text on tracking; this book puts all the other works of tracking into perspective and provides added insight to this science. The book in its presentation is geared toward the Africa but as we know as trackers the fundamentals and principles are the same were ever you are. So weather you are naturalist, search&rescue, law enforcement or a military tracker, the information presented in this text will enhance your overall knowledge of tracking; man or beast. If this book goes out of print do your self a favor and track down a used copy, it will be well worth your time and effort, because that is what I did. But luckly it is back in PRINT!! HHOOOOAAAHHH!!!

I provided a copy of the contents:

Introduction-- Part I: The Evolution of Hunter-Gatherer Subsistence-- 1. Hominid Evolution, 2. The Evolution of Hominid Subsistence, 3. The Evolution of Tracking, 4. The Origin of Science and Art-- Part II: Hunter-Gatherers of the Kalahari-- 1. Hunter-Gatherer Subsistence, 2. Science Knowledge of Spoor and Animal Behavior, 3. Non-scientific Aspects of Hunting-- Part III: The Fundamentals of Tracking-- 1. Principles of Tracking, 2. Classification of signs, 3. Spoor Interpretation, 4. Scientific Research Programmers-- References-- Index.

Hi Readers, The Art of Tracking is now back in print. regards, Louis Liebenberg

409 Pages, 11.25" x 8.75", Hardback, very nicely bound and published without a dustjacket. From the Grimaldi Forum Exhibition, Monaco, July 16th - September 4th 2005, Translated from Italian into English. Curator : Ezio Bassani. Published by Skira. Featuring the following chapters in the Ancient Art Section : Nubia, Nigeria, Nok, Igbo Ukwu, Ife, Tsode, Owo, Benin, Esie, Calabar, Bura, Sapi. Hundreds of superior items in full color covering ancient Nigerian sculpture, Dogon sculpture, African ivories and traditional African art, Figures, masks, bronzes and terracotta pieces. Well photographed, good quality paper and production. Highly Recommended.

The book is essentially an exhibition catalogue, but beautifully bound and presented. The book is broken up into a number of sections. Roughly 200 pages are devoted to ancient African art - things you may find only in museums or at high-end auctions, 50 pages are devoted to African ivories, and 100 pages are devoted to traditional African art - the types of art such as statues & masks most commonly associated with African art and collected in the last 150 years or so. There are also about 20 pages that describe the re-discovery of African art in Europe at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century.

The quality of the pictures in this book is excellent. They are mostly full-page photographic quality pictures that give a fine appreciation of the works discussed.

I'd recommend this book to serious African art enthusiasts looking to extend their reference book collection. This is a great catalogue of really high-grade African art with an expert commentary to accompany it. It could also be a nice coffee table book. Although it does serve as a survey of African art over 7000 years the book isn't set up as a narrative of African art. I think it would be less appropriate for those just starting out in African art - or looking for an overview.