Africa Books

i possess already a important collection of africa books and i can say this is a collector's item very good Patrick dauwe Belgium

I ordered this blind, generally liking Don McC's work. I ordered a dozen used photo books and this was the one I was most indifferent to BEFORE it arrived. As a lover of fine art landscape, still life, street/reportage I doubted that this work would really hold me. WOW!!!! The book is beautifully made and the image reproduction absolutely spot on (better than the vast majority of quality photo books I own). The shots are first rate from cover to cover and the mood conveyed throughout truly captivating and constant. The cohesion is amazing, yet the images for me did not become repetitive. For those with experience of Africa or the desire to go and get beyond the tourist trail, this book will resonate strongly. I got mine for $29 used mint. That has to be a steal for a book that leaves a permanent mark. The image on the front cover in no way conveys the far better quality of the content. This sort of stuff has been done time an time again and i thought that it would be typical of the work done by a 'retired' reportage guy, ie lacking in purpose and true insight. I am blown away.....

As Ralph Ellison did in mid-1900s America, Mphahlele shrewdly conveys the actualities of a miserable, mendacious government, and its innumerable crimes upon its native inhabitants, in a way that does not turn off readers not of his own race prior to the story actually being told. He, again like Ellison, makes us (caucasians) aware of a central social reality of which most of us are ignorant: It's better to be hated than it is to be ignored, (ergo, 'I felt like a bull without a China shop.').

Mphahlele is an angry man, but he keeps his anger in check throughout this fine work and artfully renders his story, as well as that of millions of other unfortunate natives of South Africa enduring an unenviable existence during the Apartheid period.

Correctly so, Mphahlele has no use whatever for the Catholic (or any other) church and their superficial soup kitchens. It's not that he's an athiest -- it's just that he observed the perfect collusion between the church and the heinous government during the Apartheid years as black people were treated as chattle on the horrific 'locations' where they were forced to live. The church was no help in effecting change for these aggrieved people -- The church could never overcome the mentality of 'White Man's Burden' and 'Manifest Destiny'.

I also loved Mphahlele's ability to touch on the good times (as a boy, swimming in the local creek with his peers), and the humorous ones as well, (an old scoundrel gets run out of town for copulating with a goat).
If you want a look at Apartheid as it truly was, no rose-colored glasses, then don't bother reading some ivory-tower fantasy of a British author -- read Mphahlele, a highly-educated and accomplished man who endured the truth of those most heinous times.

Before the dawning of the next Millenium, every discerning reader should have read this classic, by pre-eminent author Es'kia Mphahlele. In his true-life drama, Mphahlele chronicles the life of a young Black man growing up in South Africa. From the onset, he takes his readers through the layers of his multi-dimensional life. In the spirit of Jean Toomer, the grace and sophistication of Nelson Mandela and the furor of Toni Morisson, Mphahlele offers no apologies about all that has unfolded in his midst. He celebrates women, challenges racism without showing bitterness. Like no other Black author, he is not ashamed to showcase his tenderness. All in all, he propels us forward and with Alice Walker's caution, and Sindiwe Magona's humour he clarifies the philosophy connectednism.He takes his readers from his rural roots of Pietersburg, to the lights and bustle of Johannesburg, and finally settles them on the rumbles and tranquils of West Africa. What is prominent throughout Second Avenue is his refusal to take no for an answer. Down Second Avenue is a magnifying glass that portrays a lifetime that is more refreshing than Vivaldi's concerto. He comes across-subtly so-as more of an uncolonized African who is not afraid to paint an elegant watercolour of his stumbles, fumbles, falls and moving ons. In my opinion, he is one of the the 5 best novelists of the 20th century.

I have never seen anything like this book. I traveled to Africa on safari some years ago and this is the first book to capture my impression of the place. Unlike the documentary photographic books available of wildlife, this artist has managed to illustrate the surreal sense one experiences on these kinds of visits to this wonderful continent. The format makes it a collector's edition; anyone who has ever been on safari or wants to go on one from his/her living room cannot be without this extraordinary art piece and voyage.

This book stands out for two reasons.

First, if you've ever been in the east African wilderness--safari country--the tone of this book will really take you back. The artist/author has captured the intangible awe of the place in a way that makes you know you're looking at the work of a great artist.

Second, the construction of the book respects the quality of the artwork inside it. The paper is beautiful, thick, and textured; the design is tasteful; the cloth cover and box are perfect for keeping the book for years to come.

This book is a treat, a piece of Africa that will remind me of the land I love.

Talk to most people about southern Africa and they will recount images of political unrest and violence. "Drive-By-Duck and other stories" offers the reader a different viewpoint. Human emotions and experiences of everyday life are interwoven in stories that reflect the depth of these nomatter where in the world you live. The only difference is the backdrop of the majesty that is southern Africa. For the reader brought up in southern Africa, the book will evoke many special memories. For the reader who has a curiosity for this part of the world, it will fuel your urge to visit one day. And for anyone who just wants a 'darn' good read, you WON'T be disappointed. If you only buy one book this year, let it be "Drive-By-Duck and other stories"

Nineteen compelling, "nearly true" tales set in southern Africa during the late 1970s and 1980s comprise a debut work for this promising writer. The book, essentially a memoir dealing with Howard's coming-of-age experiences in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe during and after its war for independence, is a labor of love -- love for the land and its inhabitants: black, white, colonial and indigenous. As an American youth studying veterinary medicine in South Africa, Howard, afflicted with wanderlust, chanced to hitchhike north to Rhodesia on school holiday, whereupon his life was forever transformed. Upon marrying a Rhodesian girl and beginning a veterinary practice in the quaint colonial town of Marondellas, his soul became an irreversible part of the hard, red African clay. Now practising in New Zealand, Howard has experienced that teawakening of midlife, when many of us feel an urge to do an accounting of our lives. Howard is eminently successful in this accounting, and has shared his impressions and experiences in a way that makes this reader, a resident of Zimbabwe in the 1980s, want to see more. His stories, some comedic, others tragic, will evoke fond memories and nostalgia in all who once called southern Africa home.

electrostatic spray system and electrical insulatio

electrostatic spray system and electrical insulatio

This book is a very well rounded and well written review of the art and architecture of Africa. It is very eye opening about the artistic abilities of these ancient people. It even goes beyond what we know about their construction. You find that awe-inspiring palaces were not confined to Egypt and the rest of North Africa, but advanced societies had flourished apart from the rest of the world. I really don't want to give away any of the details, but you won't regret the purchase of this book.

book was in good condition well packed

Great fun. Observant, with lots of humor. This book captures East Africa just before it exits the British Empire.

A great read. Colman's perceptive, humorous comments bring exotic East Africa to life in the twilight of the British Empire. Beautifully written.

I bought this for my daughter who is a graduating biologist with a strong interest in mammals. She loves it and has requested several other volumes in the set for birthday or christmas. I've spent some time with it and it almost exceeds description. The pencil drawings (by the author, also an artist) are definitive, the coverage is exhaustive, and there is but one problem. The whole set, of which this is just one volume, is slowly going out of print. Grab them while you can; used they sell for MORE than new, if you can find them at all.

As a professional Wildlife Artist, my field includes painting, sculpture, and taxidermy.

This makes all of the "East African Mammals" series of books by Jonathan Kingdon an absolute necessity. The text gives a wonderful insight into the natural history as well as the historical ancestry of the majority of East Africa's wild children.

But even more, it is Mr. Kingdon's exquisite pencil renderings of the individual species as well as the structure of their musculature, that make these books so special.

It will be funny to those who have never seen an animal without its' hide on, to see how some predators - including the hyena, and leopard - look without their coat of fur. For instance, the anatomical study of the Sidestriped Jackal will remind the reader of a popular Chihuahua pitch-man ... er, dog!

These musulature drawings, in turn, are further enhanced by deeper dissection-like illustrations revealing the deeper muscle structures responsible for much of the movement and support for the mammal in question. These types of drawings are especially fascinating in the Large Mammals volume, wherein the trunk of the elephant and the mouth structure of the hippopotamus are visually dissected to provide a greater insight into these structures, and their performance in the animal.

The books in this series are therefore especially indispensable to the Wildlife Restorer (taxidermist) as a guide to anatomy that we rarely get to see "in-the-flesh" as it were.

I can, therefore, wholeheartedly recommend this series of books to anyone who cares enough about their chosen field of art, to pursue all ends to collect as much reference material as possible.

These books are an excellent addition to the wildlife artists' library.

I love my Jon Kingdon..the guy just draws so well and reading his accounts and observation you can tell he has a love for the animals he draws.Just amazing.Luckily I bought my copy when it was "only" 50 bucks, not sure why its so expensive now but I must say it's almost worth the new price.

As a professional Wildlife Artist, my field includes painting, sculpture, and taxidermy.

This makes all of the "East African Mammals" series of books by Jonathan Kingdon an absolute necessity. The text gives a wonderful insight into the natural history as well as the historical ancestry of the majority of East Africa's wild children.

But even more, it is Mr. Kingdon's exquisite pencil renderings of the individual species as well as the structure of their musculature, that make these books so special.

These musculature drawings, in turn, are further enhanced by deeper dissection-like illustrations revealing the deeper muscle structures responsible for much of the movement and support for the mammal in question. These types of drawings are especially fascinating in this, the Large Mammals volume, wherein the trunk of the elephant and the mouth structure of the hippopotamus are visually dissected to provide a greater insight into these structures, and their performance in the animal.

Also covered in this Large Mammals volume, is the Zebra and the Giraffe. Among the extensive coverage, the zebras' anatomy is not only printed, but it is also illustrated in all its' stripe variations, as well as its' ancestral evolutionary development. Included with the giraffe, we get a look at the muscles, as well as its' coat and how the predator sees - or more correctly - doesn't see its' quarry!

The books in this series are therefore especially indispensable to the Wildlife Restorer (taxidermist) as a guide to anatomy that we rarely get to see "in-the-flesh" as it were.

I can, therefore, wholeheartedly recommend this series of books to anyone who cares enough about their chosen field of art, to pursue all ends to collect as much reference material as possible.

These books are an excellent addition to the wildlife artists' library.

Dr. Finch is a scholar whose work is well research and wonderfully written. I first ran across this book about five years ago and this seminal work has impacted my life every since. The author discusses the humankind's earliest cultures and the roots of Christianity. The great thing in this book is that the collection of essays gives the reader a broad overview of the history of humankind by looking at our myths, cosmologies, and stories about the universe.

Delving into the human psyche while also meshing solid scientific facts and findings is one thing. But writing in a clear fashion that encompasses the technical aspect of the work is another thing. Dr. Finch has a gift for sliding humor and humanity into a subject some may deem as dry. An underrated, underappreciated work from one of my favorite scholars--I recommend this book with the highest regard.

This book provided me with a sense of my heritage that I probably would not have been able to find eslewhere. The author is very knowledgeable about the subject and clearer lays it out for all to see. I really recommend this book for all cultures and races to read.