Africa Books

An absolutely moving story of faith and survival in a place and time where hope seemingly did not exist. This story will boost your own faith and appreciation for the life that you are now living.

my heart was broken by this true story of courage and of the most evil acts that man can devise. I also strengthend my faith and while heartbroken I also felt a sense of victory for the survivors especially the author. Her ability to forgive the killers is beyond comprehension. The question I asked myself after reading this book is how could we (the USA) have ingnored this senseless slaughter? I have since read account of the lack of action by our country and the other world powers and I feel that we should be ashamed and do all we can to help these people. I would recommend this book to everyone

I pray a lot. Sometimes I think myself a little strange that praying has become such a constant. Immaculee Ilibagiza raises daily prayer to new heights and inspires/enhances belief that prayer really can save one's life--and sanity. The Rwandan holocaust was merely a story in the news magazines until I read this book. The hysteria and general craziness is brought home in this uniquely personal account of what happens in a society gone tragically awry. A must-read for anyone who wonders, "What would I do, if..."

I have had the pleasure of meeting Immaculee, she is a woman filled with grace. Most of the basics of her story I had already known, but the book really put the whole ordeal into focus, a truly riveting book, I couldn't put it down, and I'm not an avid reader.

I am enjoying this book very much. It arrived in a short time and in excellent condition.

You may be familiar with the story of Blackhawk Down. This is the incredible story of Michael Durant, whose helicopter was shot down over Somalia in 1993. With a broken back, compound fracture of his femur and other assorted injuries he was kept as a prisoner-of-war by warlord Mohammed Aidid. A fascinating story of thought and emotion of someone who lived it.

i just finished this book. It is not only about the Battle in Somalia, but also his experiences on the way. I recommend this to anyone looking for a fantastic book by someone I now highly regard as a brave individual!!

Great book, my husband enjoyed reading it. It was shipped really quick and was as described. Thank You!

I really liked this tremendous book. Michael Durant, a NH boy living and working now (apparently) in Alabama, has written a book about, mainly, love for one's comrades.

I came away with greater respect for Ross Perot and less for the late David Hackworth. The former helps military men in ways that are commendable; the latter, for an inexplicable reason, attacked Mr. Durant in local letters to the editor in newspapers in Durant's hometown (Berlin, NH) and residence in Tenn.

I also read that Durant says the blow that broke his eyesocket came from a severed limb from one of his men. I also will never forget he checked out a book from the Lincoln, Maine, public library where Delta Force soldier Gary Gordon was born. That last person who had checked it out--twenty years earlier--had been the great Gary Gordon himself.

Gordon and Randy Shughart courageously insisted upon being dropped to defend the injured crew of the downed black hawk helicopter, even though they must have known they likely would be killed by the armed mob rushing toward the crash site.

Both received the Medal of Honor posthumously.

I also wish I could remember the name of the Oklahoma-born pilot who was killed in the other crash site in Mogadishu--made famous by Mark Bowden's Black Hawk Down--who would take midnight bike rides and show up at construction projects in just nylon shorts.

The end of the book is very good to help readers discover where happiness comes from: attitude. Michael Durant says that life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you react to it.

He needs to be on Dennis Prager's radio show on a Friday when Mr. Prager discusses happiness in his famous hour.

Thanks, Mr. Durant! We miss you in New Hampshire.

I love the photo of him holding his son on a boat in a lake that looks as though it is the one I swim in. I learn how perseverance and humility can make one great. Mr. Durant is a great man.

Stephanie Shughart also deserves special credit for an incredible letter Mr. Durant published (with permission) that enabled him to get over "survivor's guilt." What a gal! But for stupendous human being like Gordon and Shughart--and Durant--a great woman is necessary, too.

By Alex Beatty
In The Company of Heroes, by Michael J. Durant, is the story of events that happened in Somalia and is also the setting for the movie Blackhawk Down. This book reveals much more detail than the movie did which was a definite plus. By having seen the movie, though, I was better able to picture the events of the book in my mind. Michael was in one of the helicopters that was shot down. He tells his story of the events that led up to shese copters being hit, and what took place after they crashed. Michel's story is one of the most amazing books that I have ever read. If you like suspensful, breath-holding books, then this book is definetly for you! I would give this book a 10 out of 10. I couldn't put the book down once I started reading it, which is very rare for me. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in true war stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Conrad, Nabokov, O'Connor, Wells--oh, bosh and phoeey! For real excitement on paper, read "Death in the Long Grass" by big-game hunter Peter Hathaway Capstick, adventure writer extraordinaire and man of up-close-and-personal, hairbreadth escapes from savage death many times over.

I personally met Mr. Capstick when I was assigned to interview him about his third and newest book (at the time), for our now-defunct local afternoon newspaper. He was a great interview, knowing how to answer questions and extend information for a great story of my own on paper. In preparation for the interview I bought all three of his books out at the time and had read the first one prior to meeting him. He personalized his autograph on his first book and signed the other two. The first is now a pricey collector's item.

You see, Peter Hathaway Capstick is up there in the Great Hall of Fame of adventure writers with the likes of Ernest Hemingway. For a person who loathes hunting and especially the thought of sport hunting like the big game animals of Africa, I actually enjoyed his first three books, which I read one after the other.

It's been over 20 years since I read those books or thought about them; however, one of my students recently asked for a book about the 10 most dangerous animals in Africa for his research project. I gave him what the library had, but they were not enough. Then I thought about Capstick's books and brought "Death in the Long Grass," the perfect book!

After he returned it, I started flipping through the pages, then just turned to page one and read Capstick's first book again. It's still an exciting read. First, his explanation why big game hunting is not a cruel sport rings so true. His description of what elephants do to humans who disturb them is a worst case scenario of human torture. After an elephant mucks up a body under his big feet, rolls him with its knees, and stirs him with his tusks, only to do the routine again, the body is rendered a jellied mess, or as Capstick describes it: "Results are most impressive."

So, the big question always is, according to Capstick: Which of the big game animals is the MOST dangerous? His answer is simple but complicated: What is the terrain? What is the weather? Day or night? Feeding conditions? In other words, the most dangerous game is determined by time and circumstance, not the animal itself, although its nature is part of the equation.

But read all the chapters, each devoted to a different animal, and the one that springs out (pardon the pun) as the most dangerous is the leopard. Other cats use the fear tactic of the roar, but the leopard is totally silent. If it is wounded and not killed, Capstick makes it obvious that this wounded beast is now THE most dangerous animal of all. In one hunt a wounded leopard in turn wounded five professional hunters before the animal was taken down. Each man was heavily armed.

Capstick most disliked the alligator. He once saw a seven foot gator kill a 500 pound hippo. When the hippo stuck its snout into the water for a drink, the alligator snapped on and the tug of life began. Eventually, the gator pulled the hippo under, drowned it, and ate it.

The rhinoceros is the most thick-headed and stupid. The scene of the rhino head-butting an abandoned railroad car left in his territory is the stuff of pratfall comedies. He head-butted all day long.

Capstick makes a fascinating comment toward the end and one which summarizes the big-game animals of Africa: "I don't know another hunter who doesn't--even if quietly--share my affection for the spotted hyena. The wild savagery of the animal's song is to me the symphony of the beauty, the horror, and the reality of life and death in the long grass, finally and at last, the truth" (285).

Capstick died from complications of heart surgery in 1996, long after his legacy was firmly established.

Shipping process seemed a little slow, but it did arrive in excellent condition and within the time frame promised.

Although I am not a hunter, this book was spellbinding from the beginning!
The author takes the reader on his many exciting and very danerous big game hunts. His purpose was not for sport, but to hunt down man killers that have terrorised the populace. I actually read this book more than twenty-five years ago, but it left such an impression on me that it seems as though I read it yesterday.
I've read many books over the years on hundred of subjects, but this book stands out! Excellent reading.
A Wallace

I just finished reading the first chapter of this book, and I am completely absorbed! I am not a hunter, but the excitement of these hunts and near death experiences is very palpable. I find myself holding my breath while reading. It is almost a macabre pleasure in reading these stories. I have been reading excerpts aloud to my husband. I appreciate the author's wry sense of humor, and his sense of realism. I have recommended it to everyone.

Mr Capstick employed a writing style that fuels your imagination to the extent you can virtually visualise the scene he has created on paper, with a blend of humour that could ordinarily seem inconsistent with the seriousness of certain situations. Mr Capsticks' writings did (in my opinion) re-vitalise the african hunt to a new generation of outdoors-people, particularly so with this title.

I read the book 2 years ago and it's as inspirational as any book can be. Things that I thought mattered are silly to me now. I almost didn't read it because anything about children suffering I stay away from. But each time I saw it in the book store it was calling me to pick it up. They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky... what an unusual name for a book. I wondered what it meant. And what is the significance of the red shorts? The book is so well written and powerful with just the perfect tone that even middle school children on up should read it. By the end you will feel this book is about 3 wisemen, not 3 boys. The book will teach you to forget about your ego and make you want to spread kindness in the world.

Absolutely stunning, captivating and compelling. Even better than "A Long Way Gone." I cannot state how much I LOVED this book. Absolutely wonderful.

Heartbreaking and lyrical. I had no idea these boys were enduring things I could not imagine grown men surviving. The simple essays leave nothing to the imagination as you follow the lives of these three boys. I found myself connected to them and wanting to know how they are doing now. Moving and profound and more entrancing than any work of fiction I have ever read.

'They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky' chronicles, in their own words, the experience of three boys who lost their families and homes due to war, walked thousands of miles, spent years in refugee camps---and never lost their compassion for others, their decency, sense of wonder, and desire for an education. Their story is even more inspiring than it is horrifying.

This is an amazing story that is told by the three people that lived it. I had no idea what children/people in that part of the world went through. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to meet Alephonsian Deng and Judy Bernstein and hear them speak. It was humbling to be in the presence of someone that had survived so much at such a young age and still has a joyful heart. I highly recommend this book.

May I also recommend: Soothing Music for Stray Cats by Jayne Joso, a London novel; and The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood by David Simon

A massive credit to the writer for the complexity and depth of this novel because it's nail biting stuff. Sheer literary brilliance. The social and criminal scope of this book is breathtaking, showing what is happening in American society at a truly profound level.

I came upon this book after finishing The Wire, and like many others, I was so thoroughly impressed with that series that I wanted more...and I am happy to say I was not disappointed in the least with this book. Simon writes brilliantly and frank. Though many of the cases in the book range from compelling to heartbreaking, to hilarious and sometimes just plain unbelievable, they truly aren't what really makes this piece astounding. It's the character with which these men handle the calls and the amount of work they put in, even when there isn't necessarily a light at the end of the tunnel. I never pictured myself becoming engrossed in a 600 page homicide book, but this stands as a testament to how much life Simon gives the individuals who selflessly spend countless hours doing the impossible job of investigating wrongful deaths in a city where murder is seemingly a common occurrence. His work is so comprehensive, in fact, that I feel no journalist/writer need bother with the topic again.

Just like McLarney says in the epilogue, "It's not about the cases. The murders. I mean, you'll write about the murders so you have stuff to write about. But that's all just the [b.s.]...you're gonna write about us. About the guys. About how we act and the [stuff] we say to each other, about how pissed off we get and how funny we are sometimes and the [stuff] that goes on in the office." And you know what? He's right, and it's why this book will continue to marvel readers for generations.

Of course, I came to this book through The Wire: The Complete Series. I knew that this book and The Corner was the basis for at least the first season. But I didn't know how much I'd enjoy the thing. Beyond the moments that I recognize from The Wire ("you gotta man, this is America" and the photocopier lie detector) there are great moments throughout this book. David Simon captures all aspects of homicide detective work including the gallow's humor, the frustration, the interrogation room, the courthouse shenanigans and the daily grind. Along the way he brings in the racial factors and the way the city of Baltimore. He even manages to bring up that old bugaboo of the way some murders are more "important" than others in a way that makes it understandable (as opposed to an easy sermon.)

All in all this is an amazing book that should be read by anyone interested in criminal justice and police procedurial. But be warned - like The Wire, this book may ruin you for all police procedurial shows like Ultimate CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or Criminal Minds: The Complete Third Season. When the reality is so entertaining, there really is no reason to waste your time with the attempts at "relevancy" that pervade these shows.

Seriously. This book was incredible. First off, it's a fascinating insight into the workings of a major city homicide unit. Secondly, it so perfectly relates the attitudes of the detectives that is both interesting and amusing. Beyond that, it is just so well written that it was almost impossible to put down.

This book is the ultimate fly-on-the-wall for some 260 Baltimore murders in 1988 and the men who investigated those murders. Some of them are laughably obvious, others require weeks of leg work, and a few never get solved. David Simon pulled off something here that has likely never been done before and may never be done again. While the topic is serious (nothing is as serious as death, right?), I frequently found myself laughing out loud at the antics of detectives and criminals alike. One of the most enjoyable and satisfying books I've read in a long time.

Before the acclaimed television series "Homicide - Life on the Street", "The Corner", and, of course, "The Wire", there was this book. Before this book, David Simon was known as a sincerely talented newspaper journalist who specialized in detailed investigative pieces. I was living in Baltimore at the time and I remember being impressed by his easy prose and meticulous attention to detail. Somewhere, somehow, the Baltimore Police Department, to its credit, was convinced to permit this sometimes-thorn-in-their-side to spend a year shadowing one of their homicide units.

You had to wonder how this arrangement was going to work out. Would Simon really have unlimited access? And would he use his inside access to do a deconstruction job on the Department? As it turned out, after the expected false starts and mutual suspicions, a working relationship began and Simon's entry into the genuine world of the homicide detective commenced in earnest. And what a world! Fiction can't touch these guys (and gals). Simon's well-tuned ear picked up all of the bravado, the inappropriate remarks, the WAY-larger-than-life characters, and, when faced with the murder of a child, the heartbreaking tenderness and dedication of the squad.

I read this book long before I discovered amazon.com and started writing reviews but, once in a while, I like to go back to my favourite books and revisit them. This old friend is one of those books and I fondly remember the first reading back in 1992. When I finished it, I turned back to the first page, grabbed a Baltimore map, and started all over again. I no longer live in Baltimore but the story rings as true and fresh as it ever did. And I wonder...where are those homicide detectives today?

This is a very cost-effective purchase for anyone with a trip planned
to WDW. The big 4-Magic Kingome, Animal Park, Epcot, and movie
Studio area, are covered in great detail, with lots of information to
make decissions to plan day/hald day tours.
a bonus, is a "free admission" to their touring website (just
need to answer a couple of questions based on their book).
Succinct and accurate discriptions of hotels, meal plans, places
to eat, character meals, etc. are all covered quite well.

Missing: water park details

"fluff"-hotels/attractions not part of wdw (I am not saying these are
not important, just not covered in enough detail to be as useful as
core information)

It is also full of little passages from previous wdw visitors, some
of whom disagree with the conclusions of the authors, which is honest
and nice to see.

Gary

Most helpful of all the WDW guides. Funny and informative. However, I would advise reading this well in advance of your trip (6 mo. or more). A lot of the advice I couldn't use because I waited until a few weeks before to read.

The touring plans! They work. We typically never wait longer than 20 minutes for any attraction, simply by following the touring plans. It's odd to me that the author says that most people that get the book will not use the plans. If you're looking for a guidebook and don't care about saving about 4 hours of standing in line per day, then there is probably a better book. However, if you want to see as much as possible in the limited time you have, The Unofficial Guide will maximize your vacation investment. (Oh and it does have typical guide stuff as well)

This is an awesome guide. I highly recommend to anyone who go to WDW to get this guide. This is our 1st visit to WDW. We got a 7 day pass, no hooper with water park. We were able to get to all the attractions of all the major parks by following the plan in this guide in beginning of June 2009.

Comprehensive discussion and evaluation of WDW, including dining and hotels. Invaluable resource. Great guide for planning a trip and making the most of your time in Orlando.

Lessons for all of us as immigrants and descendants of immigrants are found in this book. Ultimately, this is a story of humanity; good, bad and ugly. There are villains in this world, but most of us are just decent human beings no matter where we are from, no matter what our circumstances. If there is hope for these families, there is hope for all of us. This story will stay with you, maybe even change you.

"Outcasts United" tells the story of the Fugees, a collection of refugees resettled in Clarkston, GA who gather to play soccer. The hero of the book is Luma, an American-educated Jordanian woman who has been cut off by her family. Luma takes on the mission and challenge of coaching refugees from Africa, Europe, and the Mideast. The refugees all suffer from some type of post-trauma from their experiences. They have been resettled to America with little or no support. The common denominator is a love for the "Beautiful Game," soccer.

Luma is a truly amazing person who has completely unselfishly made herself a servant to the refugees and their families on and off the soccer fields. Readers will be floored at her devotion. The children fight against all the odds to perform on the soccer field, in school and in their communities.

The contrast between the lives of the refugees and their counterparts in suburbia is vast. The tragedies of the refugee families take one's breath away. Even after being resettled, they are struggling to survive in their new and sometimes hostile evirons. The townspeople are not always welcoming and are often antagonistic towards the refugees, who sometimes also fight and quarrel with each other.

The team includes players from several nations and different native languages, and yet Luma finds a way to keep the teams going. She also must provide for herself as she runs her own business and tries to keep afloat.

St. John does a good job balancing the writing on the players' traumatic pasts, current challenges, conflicts with the town, Luma's challenges and hopes and the on-field activities of the fugees' teams.

This is an eye-opening account of refugees' plights in America, as well as the tragedies in their homelands. Since the book was written many good things have happened for the fugees that are touched on in the epilogue and on their website which I recommend visiting after reading the book.

www.fugeesfamily.org/

I recognized Warren St. John's talent as a writer with his very enjoyable Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: A Road Trip into the Heart of Fan Mania. With "Outcasts United," he's fulfilled that promise in spades. What started as a series of front-page articles for the New York Times (where St. John is a reporter) has now evolved into an emotional and transcendent book.

St. John's talent is to weave together the many threads that comprise this story: the boys' backgrounds from their collective places of almost unimaginable deprivations; their resettlement in a small Georgian town; Coach Luma's Jordanian background, education at Smith and personal journey; the gelling of the teams (there are three age groups); and the demographic changes and fissures it brings to Clarkston.

I think Amazon's pairing of St. John's work with Mountains Beyond Mountains: Healing the World: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer is pitch-perfect. In Farmer and Fugees coach Luma Mufleh we have two kindred spirits demonstrating sacrifice and unstinting dedication to their respective causes.

If you live in America,you really should read this book. It's quite an eye-opener for those who have never understood why the U.S. has so many programs aimed at helping people who seem to be flooding our borders. The author accurately portrays the difficulties families face upon joining our very different culture, and just as accurate describes how difficult it is for Americans to deal with the changes that come about in their lives due to immigration issues. Fair and balanced, there are no angels or devils in this book as each person has strengths and flaws. I highly recommend it.

Outcasts United is no grab-and-go literary fix for the sports thriller enthusiast. This complex and engaging tale of young African refugees from multiple different nations, and widely varying cultures, being welded into functioning soccer teams (the Fugees) by a Jordanian immigrant woman, is about far more than striving for victory on a field of grass. Junkies of David vs. Goliath sports thrillers are hereby given fair warning: Outcasts United is not sports candy. It is a sophisticated and deeply engaging tale about geopolitics, the fear we have of those not like ourselves, and of heroes with clay feet. It's about nightmares in North and West Africa and unrealized dreams in the United States. Outcasts United is a story about a community confronted by human need, and about which members of the community step forward, which step back, and which observe silently from the sidelines.

Outcasts United is a book for both the mind and the heart. If you're human, reading Outcasts United will give a few tugs on your heart strings, but your left brain will also get a good solid workout as you turn the pages crafted by author Warren St. John. The quality of St. John`s research, and the questions that he poses, give the reader so much more than a simple sports story that is wolfed down and then forgotten. St. John's ability to tell a story with exquisite attention to the facts allows the reader the unusual freedom of drawing their own conclusions, rather than beating them over the head with a biased editorial harangue. His skill and dedication to his subject call to mind Anne Fadiman's excellent book, also about a small town absorbing a sudden and large influx of refugees, The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down.

Whether you are a solitary reader that likes a book with enough depth to cause contemplation, or a book club member whose group loves both good writing and a vibrant discussion, move Outcasts United way up high on your "must read" list.

This surely illustrates man's inhumanity to man. It makes the reader wince at times. It is difficult to see the brave, stubborn and doomed attitudes of the displaced white landowners. The reader is silently pleading, "Just leave, leave now"

It is difficult to see a country become so strangled. This isn't simple beach reading.

Having been to Zimbabwe recently with a Zimbabwean guide, I decided to go into the "back story" through as many kinds of reports as possible. This memoir is a definite read and I have suggested it to future visitors and people who want to know what is going on in Africa. The poverty is abject, the people defeated by the present government, thousands of lives have been destroyed, schools closed down, means of making a living at a stand still- all at risk of being lost for the foreseeable future. Goodwin takes us on the journey through his eyes and makes us aware of happenings which rarely make the newspapers. Frankly, I wonder how this country can come back to its once prosperous state.

"Crocodile" the story of one family, linked from the horrors of Treblinka to the depravations of today's Zimbabwe. The author watches his father die and his country sink toward death. Yet, human dignity and goodness survive in small ways that hold out some hope for the future. Godwin's telling of this story is skilled, moving, elegant, and insightful. In my opinion, an excellent and important memoir.

This is a very fascinating story about a country I knew very little about. It is very real and at times painful to read. The author tells this horrific story about the reign of Mugabe while sharing the struggles his family endures while they continue to live there. It was a very educational but warm story of the unthinkable. I wish I had known the author's previous work because his writing is straight forward and inclusive. I felt like I was right with him on these trips. I did wonder how his wife dealt with his time gone from his home and his boys, plus the risks he was taking by going back there so often.

This is a fascinating and horrifying memoir which will stay with you for a very long time. I really didn't know the specifics about the turmoil and devistation going on in Africa. It was quite shocking to read parts of this book, which is so well written. But not only does Peter Godwin write about the state of affairs in Africa, there is a twist to his memoir which is also fascinating. Great read!

Raw, sincere, honest, deep from her heart, this book reveals that Angelina is truly a unique human being amidst the superficial world of Hollywood. This book was written to raise awareness of the plight of refugees in conflict-torn countries - it is not Angelina's propaganda to enhance her career. In fact, it exposes her vulnerable side beneath her strong facade. It's simply a journal of her heartfelt experiences while on her UNHCR - sometimes dangerous - missions. This book reminds us -fortunate ones, that we should count our blessings and share those with people who are not as fortunate as us. In her travels, Angelina also marvels at & highlights how the human spirit perseveres in times of difficulties and distress. A shallow & insensitive celebrity would have missed this human characteristic.

My admiration for Angelina has gone beyond her talents as an actress; she is truly inspirational in her real but 'quiet' humanitarian endeavors. There's nothing Hollywood about that. Isn't it strange that no paparazzi cover her UNHCR missions?

I bought 2 copies of this book - one for my elder sister who simply adores Angelina & one for my teen-age daughter, also an Angelina Jolie admirer & whose heart is also into (school) charity programs. I am hoping that Angelina's story will strengthen my daughter's passion in helping people in need - especially poor & sick children.

I hope Angelina writes another book on her recent UNHCR missions.

In hindsight : because of its message, make this a 5 star! :)

AUTOBIOGRAPHY ON ANGELINE JOLIE AND A LOG OF HER TRAVELS FOR THE UNITED NATION. VERY INTERESTING. JM

These extracts from Angelina's journal provide a unique insight into the plight of refugees all over the world. It is heart-wrenching to read about the terrible ordeals these people have faced during war & continue to face even after the fighting is over. The courage they show during such adversity is humbling & inspiring to the last page. A must-read book if you have any interest in the plight of your fellow man.

Angelina Jolie has a very personal connection with those who are in hard circumstances like the poor in Africa, one can speculate why but cannot realistically claim it is not sincere. She spends a lot of her time and money there and writes with warmth and humility. She expresses appreciation for those things in other areas that help keep poverty and related problems at bay. A good read as a eyewitness account of what people are going through but also a meaningful social commentary, most of all I find this book an inspiring example of how to bravely contribute whatever one can.

This is a very moving book. It gives us a glimpse into the suffering around the world and motivation to help.

While I notice everyone writing novels for reviews- I will keep mine simple. Short and sweet. We have a true story of a woman surviving slavery. She takes us through her childhood, capture, sale, slave life, and escape. A very detailed and thought provoking tale- that I believe everyone and I mean everyone should read. Just think about this- in this modern age- slavery still exist, but not only does it exist, it is still just as horrible. No one should wave this woman's story as the same old tales. It is not, it is her own story among many others and others who have not told theres. Or died before they could.

The writing is good as I said detailed. It may be a little too detailed for some for it is very graphic in many areas. It may be triggering for some. However, I believe without it- we really would not be able to see with our own eyes her sufferings. From the moment you begin reading- you are on a non-stop journey.

I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to have an open-mind and not judge. Everyone can learn from her story. I purchase this book through Kindle and I believe I got my moneys worth.

I told you- short and sweet. Sometimes less is more.

My book was in great condition and obviously came from the NY library so it had library stickers but the product info told me it would. It came in on time. I was very pleased.

This is an excellent book. It contains very enlightening information about the slave trade in third world countries that is going on in this very day and times. I enjoyed her description of her life in the Nubian mountains prior to her capture and enslavement.

I read this book last year. I bought it in hard cover for my personal home library, after reading such positive reviews from others. It is definitely one of the best books I own! Though it's been a number of months since I've read this book, I can honestly tell you...from my words to God's ear...I can remember every sequence in this book. Though we are reading about a very disturbing subject, you won't be able to ignore any of it's contents.

My interest took place right at the beginning as I learned of Mende's fascinating lifestyle in a village within the Nuba mountains of Sudan, Africa. It was quite enjoyable to read... so different an environment as to mine in the United States, but so similar in regards to parents caring for their children.

Yet soon enough, Mende's life turns on her, completely.
Late one night, a group of Arab raiders rode into her village, torched the homes and rounded up the young girls, as everyone began running wildly in all directions. The raiders gathered up several young girls, including Mende Nazer. From there, the children taken were funneled through a generated system of illegal payoffs, beginning with those who rode into the villages during the night, to those whom escorted the young girls out of Sudan, to those who transported them into a new country of origin...in Mende's case, being kidnapped into a Middle Eastern Country.

When finally there, Mende and the other youngsters were then held in a home of a dark n' dirty basement where they lived for a while until special ladies came to the house, arriving as though they were there for tea n' cookies. But rather than picking out which cookies these 'soon to be masters' wanted, they picked out which young girl they wanted to bring home with them to become their own illegal SLAVE.

MY PERSONAL NOTE: "This acquisition is nothing but appalling and stunning to know, though it still takes place throughout the entire world. There is no excuse for the barbaric treatment whatsoever. How can human beings be so inhumane?"

Back to the book....
After taking years of abuse at the hand of her master, along with the course of never, ever seeing a day to call 'her own' or ever being able to contact her family to tell them that she was alive, Mende was finally going to have a change in venue. Her Master wanted to give her sister, who lived in London, Mende, as a gift for a while. But soon after that exchange took place, Mende could not mentally sustain that way of life any longer, so she picks a point in time, and she RUNS!

If you are not satisfied with my review, please, read the reviews of the countless others who were as overwhelmed as I was with this fascinating and riveting autobiography of Mende Nazer.

To Mende Nazer: If you are ever to read 'my review' of your book, please know that I am hoping 'my review' of your book will promote others to take an interest in your intriguing autobiography so that if we readers ever come across a similar situation as yours in my country or those reading it abroad, may we all unify with no problem of reporting this inhumane type of abuse. I pledge this to you, of my own self, Mende. God Bless you for all you've been through, and for having the will and the strength to share it with us, your proud readers!

J. Lavoie

Slave is an alarmingly true story about the modern day slave trade. I could not put this book down. My heart was pounding towards the end as Mende was attempting to escape. I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to have thier eyes opened to the very disturbing fact the there are people profiting from throwing children into a lifetime of Slavery and even more disturbing is the fact that there are families that will buy and "own" slaves.