Africa Books

Stuart Van Slyke has led an amazing life - born at the end of the First World War, he lived through the Depression and served in some of the most interesting theaters of the Second World War. He leaves out no detail, no matter how painful or seemingly small, which has the effect of building a very rich story - at the end of which you feel you know the author and his times quite well. I highly recommend it.

This book is one of those rare finds for which historians are always looking. Mr. Van Slyke managed to keep all of his old correspondance and notes from a lifetime of over 80 years, and has compiled them into a gripping story of one person's experiences through the Great Depression and WW II. Although not interested in the "big picture", this book conveys a ground's eye perspective of some under-developed areas of WW II history. The portion about the author's challenges in the military government in Korea at the end of WW II, provided this Iraq War veteran an eerie sense of deja vu, as well as highlighting several key lessons that are still valid today.
The writing style is very simple and flows naturally. The reader feels like they are sitting in a living room, while their grandfather relates his stories to them. The addition of actual copies of orders, pictures and other documents throughout the book serve to further enhance the experience.
In sum, this book is a must have for any serious student of American life from the 1920s to the end of WW II. Future books may include a continuation from WW II until the present day.

***Truth in Lending***
The author is the Maternal Grandfather of the writer of this review. However, the reviewer has been trained in history at the United States Military Academy, and conducted research on WW II history.

THE LION OF JUDAH HATH PREVAILED WAS WRITTEN BY CHRISTINE STANFORD IN 1955...IT WAS PUBLISHED TO COMMEMORATE THE SILVER JUBILEE OF EMPEROR HAILE SELLASSIE'S CORONATION...MS STANDFORD WRITES WITH A SMOOTH STYLE THAT UNLEASHES ELEGANT VERSE FLAVOURED WITH ROYAL REIGN...A GREAT FIND FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN THE LAST OF THE SOLOMANIC LINE OF KINGS...HOW HE WAS RAISED...HIS POWER AND HIS PRESENCE...EARNING THE CALL AS THE ELECT OF GOD JAH RASTAFARI...PRIZGAR

Whether You may be black or whether you may be white, open up your eyes so you can see the light. RASTAFARI liveth and ruleth upon this Earth!

Livingston's Tribe is a superbly written, armchair travel guide of a journey from Zanzibar to the Cape recounts the experiences of an anti-apartheid liberal who flees the old South Africa and welcomes independence for Zimbabwe. His experiences and encounters with tribes and individuals makes for an involving and revealing travel diary which any with an affection for Africa will relish.

This book seemed a little pessimistic about the whites living in Zimbabwe and Kenya, however that is understandable given that he was there right before the violent seizure of white land in Zimbabwe and under the rather oppressive rule of President Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya, and so things would have looked a bit bleak at that time. He should go back and write one about the same communities now, although the going to Zimbabwe would be difficult. This book was a very fun read, and I would guess that it will be a primary document for the historians and sociologists of future generations. It was a very compelling read.

The most consise, clear account of what you need, and what you need to do to get ready for Africa. I loved the book. Even though it is entitled " Read this first" it is the only guide book I am taking in it's entirety , to Africa.

First off, let's set out what this book isn't. It's not an exhaustive destination guide. It's not going to tell you where to stay in Accra or what days the market is open in Abeokuta. The chapters on each country are only a couple of pages long.

That being said, there's some great information here. I particularly like the suggested iteneraries. They give you suggestions on what you can do if you have one week, two weeks, or a month in each country, with a map and brief information on sites to see and travel methods. That's the second half of the book. The first half of the book is general travel information for developing countries that's definitely required reading for first time travelers to Africa.

This book (only a few dollars used - it's out of print now) and a full-featured travel guide (Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Bradt, etc) will be very useful in planning your trip to Africa.

Organized in 3 sections: habitats, parks, animals. The sections are well organized, easy to find what you want and easily cross-referenced. Helped us tremendously in planning where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see in East Africa. Wonderful pictures, too.

I recently took a wonderful trip to Africa and went on several game drives. We saw so many new animals that I didn't know existed. Two of my friends, also on the trip, had your book. This book explained about the animals and had such great pictures that were such a help in distinguishing the animals. I liked the small area map that tells where the animal is found. The organization of the book is so helpful and easy to find what you are looking for. I have read it over and over again and used it as a reference for my presentations.

Worst place I ever went to was Heaven Lodge in Chimanimana. Abysmal experience - how on earth can you recoment it. fantastically impressed with the bushwalking company. Give them a plug, they deserve it. Chimanimani Bushwalking Co. The only reason to go there

Swaney's guide to Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia is the best on the bookstore shelf. The level of detail is superb, from major cities to rural villages. She should consider herself more a regional geographer, as her detail concerning things like history, climate, people, and place are akin to that of one! All this and she manages to fit in the best deals on lodging, food, and travel sites, not to mention important info concerning safety and hazards associated with travel. I used this book extensively during my travels throughout last year, when I lived in Windhoek. Indeed, you can find no better than this- and the information is as good or better than what the locals give! I once had the opportunity to meet her at a hostel in Windhoek, when I was doing some academic research there, and never had the chance to tell her how much I praise this guide!

This book is a girl and boy who lives with their family in Cape Flats, South Africa and life wasn't as easy. Their father has a hard times getting a steady job and their mother takes long hours working for a white family in the rich area of town. This forces the girl Anna to watch over her baby sister while her parents and her half brother are gone. Anna also loves her brother David so dearly. They explore and have many adventures together and also rescue a three legged dog which nearly drowned. Then when David decides to take the dog back home the tension between him and their father builds up much more stronger which makes Anna and their mom so sad. Together Anna and her family were in for a lot of hardships.

One is transported into the world of children growing up in the apartheid times. The book is so poignant because the author accesses the child's emotions and observations of extreme circumstances, but the child of course is nonjudgemental. Case combines exquisite sensitivity with a total lack of sentimentality as she describes the actualities of apartheid South Africa.

Why is this book out of print? It's one of the best books written about modern Africa.

Well written insights into the daily lives of the Maasai. Gives true feeling of the issues the Maasai face every day. A great read for anyone who is interested in Kenya or pastoralist peoples

I am not sure whether my words would be enough to explain how good this book is.Mr Thomson is higly qualified man,most of the other African titles becomes like ''mumblings in Africa ''(I said MOST not all)compare to this one.It has everyting,it is so well written after reading the book you feel like a old time elephant hunter with knowledge of everthing abouth the elephants.one problem with it after you've read this one it is hard to read another African title.
Read it you will see what I mean.especially if you are considering an elephant hunt somethimes in your life.My personal thanks to this very honourable man Mr.Ron Thomson ,sharing his most valuable information with the readers.

Brilliant account from a highly qualified author ,of the devasting impact excessive elephant populations have on the habitat; intelligent rationale why they must be culled ; and first -hand accounts of elephant hunting. A MUST READ for any serious conservationist

I loved this book! I am a calligrapher and amateur bookmaker, and found this to be a valuable addition to my library. The pictures and text instructions are clear, and the projects were interesting and fun. Projects included cards, gift boxes, and mobiles, as well as some more advanced craft techniques. The author focuses on easy-to-obtain equipment and materials, making this a good choice for beginners like me. I also found it a good volume for sparking my brain when my creativity flagged.

I had a summer design class and since the class was so condensed, we designed and constructed projects on a daily basis. For my final project, I had to construct a book. I only had 2 days to do it and since I knew I wanted to make my own papers, I needed some direction. I used this wonderful book and not only did it have very clear directions with concise illustrations, the supplies needed were on a very practical level. That means I didn't have to purchase extra supplies I probably would never use again. My book turned out so beautiful, I got an A+! I now make papers as a hobby and I owe it all to this great book.