Africa Books

Kenya? As a new home, as a place to live while rearing three small children? For most of us whose knowledge of this African country consists of impressions gleaned from what we read and see on TV news these days, the very idea of moving there sounds way too scary.

There's been so much news of violence and chaos in Kenya in recent months that I would be fearful, even, of visiting there, and Dorothy Stephens had similar reactions 50-some years ago when her husband announced that he was being posted by the United States Information Service (USIA) to Nairobi.

Dorothy, 33 at the time, had just read a novel about a Mau Mau uprising against the British in Kenya when Bob, excited by this chance to serve and advance his career, proposed that they move there with their children, two in grammar school and one only two years old.

"Kwa Heri Means Goodbye: Memories of Kenya 1957-1959" is one result of this family relocation, and it is a fascinating, richly detailed story of a three-year adventure that changed the lives of all five members of the Stephens family.

The tale begins with reflections on what it took to screw up one's courage to make such a change. Then it moves on to the necessarily rushed preparations, to the emotions of leaving one's home country, and, in clear and colourful language, to what it was like to fly in at night, land, and begin experiencing a totally new culture.

After many engrossing stories of difficulties and triumphs, the book ends with how hard it was for the Stephens family to say "kwa heri" to Kenya and its people. The children gained an education in world-awareness and cultural diversity that couldn't have been matched in Michigan or anywhere else, and so did their parents.

Dorothy Stephen was a keen observer and her immersion in the daily life of being a mother who needed, often, the advice and help of her Kenyan counterparts gave her opportunities to learn about the practices, personalities, and living conditions of African women.

Bob's ASIA position required her to host occasional events that introduced her to others in the diplomatic corps and gave her a chance to meet and form insightful opinions of many of Africa's leaders at that time.

This is a well-written memoir that will retain, perhaps forever, its appeal for those interested in Kenya. It is also a story of personal development that will always provide pleasure to those of us who love adventure stories with fact-based authenticity.

I loved Dorothy Stephens' Kwa Heri Means Goodbye. It successfully transported me to another place and time, making me feel as if I myself had been to Kenya in the late 1950s. I also enjoyed it as her personal adventure, in which she was yanked from a comfortable, traditional life and whisked off to an exotic and potentially very dangerous place. With dry wit, she conveys her sense of dread about the trip, citing horror stories of the Mau Mau uprising and malaria, and describes a nerve-wracking flight across the ocean with hard-partying pilots. She introduces us to very memorable locales, characters, and wildlife--include safari ants and a wild monkey. A thoroughly informative and enjoyable read!

Dorothy Stephens's memoir of the two years she spent living with her young family in pre-independence Kenya is deeply felt, sensitive and intelligent. Her language describing Kenya's land and people is both gorgeous and unsentimental. The reader feels drawn into every scene with her, experiencing the beauty and the strangeness she felt as she made the unsettled land her home. From the smallest things, like learning the Kenyan words for grocery staples, to the more complex, like learning to fit into the existing colonial system while maintaining her sense of all Kenyans' dignity, Stephens shows how an "ordinary" white American can have an extraordinary effect on her surroundings. Without flaunting their views in the face of the British, Stephens, her husband, and their three children make friends with the brave, educated Kenyans who will soon lead their country into independence. They do this even though the British prefer to treat Kenyans as servants and maintain the status quo, and resent Americans like the Stephens who have different ideas. The book offers a wonderful background to help understand the current unrest in Kenya. The book is in many ways Dorothy Stephens' love song, both to Kenya and to her daughter Kelly, the little blonde two-year-old whose hand she holds throughout much of the book. Kelly Stephens, encouraged to explore by her parents world views, died in the early 90s during a volcanic eruption in Indonesia. All proceeds from the sale of the book go to a foundation in Kelly Stephens' name which funds education for Indonesian school teachers.

This book is a great fictional adventure.The authors imagination
and humor shows up in this great story.I am no child and I loved it.Anyone know if there will be a sequil?

I have read this book several times.I enjoyed it as much as my grand children did.There are very interesting characters in this story.It will keep you laughing.Main characters,Chuck and Bobob are so funny together.I really can't wait fot the sequal.
I highly recommend it for children from 8 to 88.Quick and easy reading.Once you start it ,you won't want to put it down,It's one funny adventure after another.Very refreshing,non violent,
Good clean humor.Author should be commended for his work.Great stuff.A+

The book kept both the attention of the kids but was interesting for adults. The adventure forces the reader to create images in your mind of each place in the book.

Completed this book two summers back during a quick study of the Horn of Africa---and as an arm-chair law buff found the author's work extraordinary in scope and import. Instead of the usual soft racism that derides much of African culture and heritage, Mr. Van Notten offers real alternatives to traditional Western legal remedies/methods---with added benefits of examining the legal/economic constraints of Somali custom/law. A first rate read and highly recommend to those interested in innovative alternatives to traditional Western jurisprudence.

Students of legal anthropology learn the phrase "customary law" early in their training. But seldom is it accompanied by nuanced understanding. Law of the Somalis fundamentally alters this default. Generations of legal anthropologists working in colonial Africa devoted themselves (usually with the best intentions) to "codifying" customary law, never pausing to ask whether customary law might possess advantages wholly antithetical to "legislated" law.
The late Michael van Notten, a Dutch-educated lawyer "adopted" into Somali society, has written a "brief" (using the Somali case) on behalf of the proposition that customary law succeeds in fulfilling natural law demands for justice in ways superior to law created by systems of representative democracy. Legislated law of necessity disenfranchises the minority (who failed to elect their representatives), while customary law, because it focuses on disputes situationally, and relies on customary legal principles not unbending statutes for solutions, is better suited to respecting the interests of all sides. A major factor in van Notten's argument in favor of the Somali example is his demonstration of how customary law performs in its intensely competitive environment. In order to preserve its general acceptance, customary law must provide non-governmental means whereby people can complain if they feel their rights were violated.
The name given to this customary law system is kritarchy, that is, a system of rule distinguished from monarchy and oligarchy, by its reliance on "judging through principle." Kritarchy rests not on political institutions, but rather simply on the rule of law.
In a world where "failed-state" can be a buzzword precursor to outside intervention, issues presented by nations relying on customary law are far from academic. Van Notten's polemic is thus also timely - and far from an abstract contemplation. To the contrary, based on firsthand experience the book urges that a customary law foundation, such as found in Somalia, provides an ideal basis for establishment of a Free Port dedicated to commercial relations with the highest regard for natural law property rights. The United Nations has poured billions of dollars, thus far without evident success, into the cause of re-establishing a Somali central government, a proposition anathema to the customary law systems of Somalia's clans. Van Notten, on the other hand, sees opportunity to vindicate an approach to law consistent with older forms honoring sage leadership and counsel without the power to coerce and tax.
The readability and relative brevity of the text highly recommend Law of the Somalis for classroom use. It fits comfortably alongside, and is a refreshing addition to, the scholarly tradition reflected in such classic ethnographic legal-political titles as, Tswana Law (I. Schapera), The Cheyenne Way (K. Llewellyn and E.A. Hoebel), and The Judicial Process among the Barotse (M. Gluckman).
Howard J. De Nike, J.D., Ph.D., Instructor, Anthropology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.

This book deserves the full five stars because it demonstrates dynamically that sustenance and better, and freedom, order and peace, are fully possible in a system of local, family/clan, traditional governance in its multiple manifestations over a fairly wide territory without the "assistance" or burden of a centralized ruler controlling any and all aspects of the economy, society or life of the citizenry or its institutions. And it does so in a readily accessible manner in the writing style and cogent illustrations of the customary law as applied. This pertains to the principal author, the editor and one other contributor.

The justice system in northern Somalia, Somaliland, works as a common law, less formal than the English common law, but formalized in its procedures and precedents. It uses (by retainer) recognized judges or arbiters who receive apprentice-like training, experience on the job, and are selected on the basis of reputation for a track record of wise rulings. This pertains in civil and in criminal matters.

The greatest flaw in the rules, not in the system, is the lack of absolute property rights. Common grazing ground has fairly comprehensive rules as to how it may be used, thus avoiding the tragedy of the commons. But it can't be sold which is a considerable constraint on achieving prosperity. Individually owned real property has similar restraints; it can be sold only within the clan. This also constrains prosperity.

Somaliland does immensely better that the southern regions of Somalia where repeated efforts to reestablish central government, and the fear of such, have encouraged "war-lordism" and have discouraged economic betterment.

This system of justice appears to have been the general modus operandi across most of Africa before colonization. It is remarkable that so much of the system has survived a couple centuries of colonization and several decades of tyrannical dictatorships, both very centralizing forces.

To this observer this system demonstrates the validity of the libertarian notion that man can govern himself better at the individual and local level than he can be governed by the central state, federated or otherwise.

We were very fortunate to visit Londolozi on several occassions whilst living in South Africa. Lex Hes was a ranger there in the 80's and we had some fantastic game spotting. Lex is extremley professional and very passionate about his work. He is one of the Worlds best wild life photographers. I bought my Father Leopards of Londolozi as he also visited on several occassions from the UK. I will have to hope my Father leaves me this book in his Will now that it is out of publication. Lex's passion rubbed off on us and we have spent many many hours watching game and have the most fantastic memories.You can smell the bush when you look at this book it gives me the goose bumps.
Sharon Oliver, Brisbane, Australia.

We visited Londolozi a number of times in the early 1980-1985 era. Lex Hes was then a ranger at Londolozi. He and his wife were wonderful friends to nature and to Londolozi guests. Lex now has a ranger training school/business in South Africa. I bought the book a while back because we know Lex. Now I'll keep it under wraps knowing it's a collector's item.

Londolozi is now much more expensive than it was in the 80s but we'd go back in an instant if time and money allowed. Hawai'i is far away...the antipode of Botswana.

I visited Londolozi in May 2001 for 4 days. Incredible experience. I saw this book there. Someone had brought it with him to Londolozi, but was unable to purchase a copy in South Africa. I want this book very much and have Amazon.com looking for one for me. It is a wonderful book. Would it benefit someone who had not been to Londolozi? Yes, very much!

Once you see the leopards of Londolozi you're life is changed forever. It's in the catagory of seeing the Northern Lights. You are never the same again.

Do purchase this book-----but only after I get a copy of my own.

An exellent translation of the letters of Sheikh ad-Darqawi by Titus Burckhard. Although this book is only a partial translation and there does exist another translation (by the murabitun movement) this translation is usually seen as the most authentic.

For the ordinary reader however, the translation published by diwan press (of the murabitun) may be easier to read you may wish to have both copies to compare (as I have) Still, if you are reading this book for religious reasons alone, it should not matter which copy you happen to read.

North and West African Sufism has been largely overlooked in the West (possibly because of most of that geographical area coming under French influence) thus, we have little in the way of classical texts translated from that area, fortuantly that seems to be changing.

Other books I would recomend along side this one are:

fez city of Islam, The meaning of man (Sidi Ali jamal), The diwan of ibn al-Habib, The way of Abu Madyan, Zarruq the Sufi and the letters of ibn Abbad of Ronda.

I could not think of a better title. The book is filled with discourses, I would have loved more but...Many spiritual healings of the heart and the mind can be found.

The book leaves you with one conclusion. You need a Shaykh to follow the path to Allah, you need a madthab to follow Sharia, and you can't use a book for either.

Wonderful!

This is one of the best books I have read about Sufism. The letters was from a master to advice his disciples concerning the sufi path. It is informative and helpful to all who are intrested to step into the spirtual path.

Al-Arabi Ad-Darqawi was follower of the Shadhili order which was founded by the great Shaykh Abu'l Hasan ash-Shadhili.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested to know about the practical way of Sufi path.

The translation is excellent and the authour shows true insight on the subject.

Mansour El-Kikhia provides a critical and entertaining account of the 'unique' and flawed political system that Ghadafi has instituted in Libya. I found it balanced and very relevant. This system has produced some interesting, if puzzling, results in the course of its implementation that clearly demonstrate its shortcomings and its proclivity to suffer from excessive zeal .
El-Kihia shows how Qadhafi has concentrated power to the provinces where the Colonel's extended family members wield important posts in the army and provincial government. The concept of a formal head of state has also been revised in favor of designating an official leader. El-Kikhia also suggests that there has been a concerted effort to diminish the influence of technocrats and educated personnel, who have been instrumental in ceating the institutions to manage the oil economy and important political negotiations with the outside world, in favor of the ideologues of the revolutionary cadres . Certainly this is in accordance with the pattern of power distribution that has prevailed in Libya since the al-Fatah revolution.
There are also accounts of the decline of culture and eductaion as a result of Qadhafi's policies and the profusion of ideology in all aspects of daily life.

As a student of Professor El-kikhia's Foreign Policy courses, I can address his almost uncanny knowledge and understanding of foreign policy and the Middle East in specific. I would wholeheartedly recommend this and any other of Professor El-Kikhia's books to those who wish to educate themselves in foreign policy in this unique sector of the globe.

Ben Herd

As a political science major at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and also a frequent student of Dr. El-Kikhia, having read this book I can say that it is absolutely essential to an understanding of Libya's past and present political course and journey. Dr. El-Kikhia's unique perspective and special knowledge presents both the average reader and political science student with a powerful insight into the core of Quaddafi's world.

This author provided a great, unbiased account of Livingstone without being disrespectful. He also ended the book with a fantastic account of how Livingstone's legacy affected the world. This is a must read for all Christians or anyone interested in 19th century history or African history in general.

Jeal's biography became an instant classic upon publication some years ago. It is doubtful that Livingstone will ever be so fully portrayed, "warts and all," as the saying goes. Quite apart from the life depicted, this biography is a work of art. The prose is gorgeous, quite simply among the best biographies of the decade. One is simultaneously gripped and repelled by the author's extraordinary subject. Livingstone is one of the two or three singularly impressive Victorian figures whom contemporaries admired but whom we now regard with dismay. Still, there are no such grand figures in our time, and it is doubtful any will ever emerge again with such courage and daring. He was in so many ways as hateful as his age, but a better man than we in our time who praise ourselves for finding fault with his undeniable accomplishments from the comfort of our little lives.

This is a truly amazing story of dishonesty and brutality. Livingstone fraudulently pretended to be a great missionary after having converted only one person who later rejected the Christian faith. He then used this fraud to make large amounts of money and present a moral and financial argument for British imperialism on a grand scale in Africa. Organizations such as the London Missionary Society do not come off well here as they participated in a giant fund raising scheme to "save" Africa "for Christ". What is particularly damning is the relevation that Livingston originally (and correctly) knew that the destruction of the tribal way of life and its replacement by the Anglo Saxon versions of capitalism and Christianity would seriously endanger African lives. Filled with greed and ambition, Livingstone later deceived himself into believing his own lies.

Probably more than any other person in the Victorian age, Livingstone helped create an "Axis of Evil" between big business, big religion and larger British dreams of empire that led to the "scramble for Africa" that caused the whole continent to be on the receiving end of one of the most brutal colonial conquests in history.

This book was so helpful in finding great places to eat in Paris. We'd find ourselves in a different area of town either for lunch or dinner each day. Simply pull out the Out to Eat book and find the food or restaurant we wanted to visit. Fair warning on dress code or reservations. We didn't NEED this book, but it made the trip easier...

This book is infinitely helpful to pinpoint the perfect restaurant or bar that suits one's needs. The book is organized into arrondissements of Paris. At the beginning of each chapter, the authors list what they consider the best choices for each particular arrondissement.

If you're looking for a particular type of cuisine, one of the back indexes lists the cuisine type and all the restaurants that serve that type of food and of course, a page number where the restaurant can be found.

Another index lists all the restaurants alphabetically to compare them for the features of serving late night, outdoors, any private rooms, serving children, have wheelchair access, and if they're appropriate for business dining.

There are over 40 pages of excellent maps showing the name of the restaurant at its location.

Each individual entry gives the restaurant name, telephone number, address, page of the map where it's shown in the book, which Métro stations are closest, general prices for starter dishes, main courses, desserts, and set menus for lunch and dinner.

What makes this guide unique is that there are also ratings for the general volume of the crowd, so you can choose a quieter place or a more lively place, depending on your desires. Also, what is very valuable to us non-smokers is the restaurant's policy - smoking throughout, nonsmoking tables available, or completely non-smoking. Another fantastic feature is there is a little picture of a carrot next to the restaurants that are vegetarian friendly - a real plus!

Each entry lists the hours of operation (though these can often change, so I'd highly recommend a quick call before you have your heart set on a specific restaurant; also reservations are highly recommended at some restaurants) and a fairly detailed entry telling the specialties of the house and what the authors recommend.

The information in the book is extremely helpful for choosing restaurants and bars, and its organization makes this information easily accessible so you aren't spending time wading through large volumes to find that perfect Parisian experience.

We recently visited Paris. We armed ourselves with this book as well as a few others for cross-referencing. The LP book was dead-on for each restaurant. Although we consider ourselves very picky and privileged eaters, we were 100% satisfied with our choices. The book was invaluable not only for food but for neighborhood and bar information.

The most comprehensive travel guide I've seen. Hundreds of useful practical hints, explanations of cultural background and important things to remember for "whites" in order not to hurt or offend the traditional, mythical or religious beliefs, which are all very strong over there. I have travelled in West Africa myself, before reading this book, and found that it really shows the most important details to consider. Framed boxes in the text make it easy to find the essential tips. It is also valuable, that it shows how to travel cheaply, nothing about the luxurious hotels, more of the budget type of stuff.

Highly recommended! We just returned from our fourth trip to Senegal, and we found the Lonely Planet guidebook to be highly accurate and easily usable. It is well written and includes much helpful cultural information in addition to all the necessary facts. Don't leave for Senegal without it!!!!

I would also have to agree that this book was very well written, with a great deal of relavent information on The Gambia. I highly recomend this book.

The books is a good read. This book is a NEW book and unfortunately the front and back lower right corners of the hard cover are dented ,indicating book had been dropped. I've bought used books that were in better shape

40 years of hunts and memories from a man who lived a life many of us can only dream of,a priceless piece of outdoor lore!

A great source of information and reading enjoyment. This is book is very well done!