Africa Books

Basics: 1995, 1st edition; hardcover; 304 pages, 142 plates containing 1,000+ color photos; additional 262 color paintings show identification points; 700+ species; range map for each bird; US$50-200

Cautionary Note: There are two books with the same title by the same author. The similarities end there. This confusion has caused some online booksellers to list the tiny 144-page book (normally US$15) at the US$100 price of this larger book. So, be careful of what you are purchasing. This review covers the large 11 x 9-inch hardcover book (ISBN 1868257851) by Struik Publishers and not the small paperback.

This is a very attractive book with its high quality photographs. Nearly all photos are up close, sharp, and printed in good color. These photos are the highlight of the book. Of the 900+ species found in southern Africa, over 700 are illustrated here. Each plate contains 5-9 photos. Only a small percentage of the birds are represented by more than one photo. Those that have two photos are typically species with notable sexual dimorphism.

On most of the text pages, there are 1-2 small color paintings in the margin. These are used to point out detail relevant to age, sex, season, or similar species. The illustrations are good quality.

The one-paragraph text on the adjacent page offers the typical physical description of the bird along with a very brief outline of its habitat and vocalizations. The 3 x 3cm range maps found next to the text are adequate for showing where the bird may be found. Only one color is used in the range map; thus, no seasonal information can be inferred.

My only negative comment is the minor difficulty in matching the photo on the right page to the species name and map on the left page. To match them, you must look at the little numbered box diagram that corresponds with the photo layout. The number in each little box is then used to compare against a numbered list of names. This method is not unique and can be found in several other photo format books; however, it is still cumbersome.

Other Related Books:
1) Complete Book of Southern African Birds by Ginn, McIlleron, and Milstein
2) Larger Illustrated Guide to Birds of Southern Africa by Arlott
3) Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa by Sinclair
4) Sasol Birds of Southern Africa by Sinclair
5) Roberts Birds of Southern Africa by Hocky, Dean, and Ryan
6) Newman's Birds of Southern Africa by Newman
7) Illustrated Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa by Sinclair

The photographs in this book are excellent. All the birds are in good light with plumage variations evident. Where needed, colored drawings supplement the photos. A map of the distribution is on the facing page, and the text describes habitat, behavior, and plumage characteristics of the species. Size is given in centimeters.

I bought this for a friend who loves and collects flamigos but always gets "tacky flamigo" stuff. She loved the book, it's full of beautiful photography! Got it for half the price too!! It was $60 at the book store!

I happened across this jewel of a book in Tampa, Florida, and consider the retail price of ... money well spent. Amazon.com's ... makes it even more of a "must-have."

The quality of the photographs and indeed the book itself (typography, weight of paper, etc.) are exceptional. The ornithological information is extensive yet completely accessible to non-scientists--scientific jargon is kept to a minimum.

Several pages of photographs are devoted to dead and dying flamingos--this was quite disturbing but in no way detracts from the haunting beauty of the book, and, when coupled with the author's words on the endangerment of the native habitat of the flamingo--especially in Africa--are sobering and very sad. Let us all hope that steps will be taken to preserve these unique and special creatures for future generations.

The use of British English was a little jarring to this American (for example, I had to rack my brain to figure out what "hoovering" is and finally understood it to mean "vacuuming") but overall I would say this book was truly a delight to read and a joy to behold. I would recommend Pink Flamingos to anyone who enjoys spectacular photography and especially to those interested in knowing more about flamingos.

Basics: 1998, 1st edition; hardcover; 207 pages, 32 color plates; additional 16 b&w photos and a couple of b&w line drawings; 30 species of Pitta; range map for each bird

It's hard to resist a bird book featuring a Gurney's Pitta on the cover. It's equally hard to resist this book once you've looked through the fine plates and skimmed through the incredible amount of research provided for each of these colorful birds.

A full page is dedicated to each of the 30 species of Pitta around the world as a color plate. These plates display the gender and age differences, where applicable. The artistry is of good quality. One plate depicts an egg from each of the species while another vibrant plate displays all 30 adult males together.

The text is to be commended just as much as the plates. Each bird receives between 4-15 pages of extensive information. Each mini-chapter gives an exhaustive account of the subspecies, taxonomic history, recent records, and tables of data that compare physical appearance and measurements.

The standard text of description, distribution, habitat, behavior, vocalizations, and breeding biology are very thorough. This monograph is further enhanced with less commonly seen sections of movements, feeding behavior, molting, hybridization, status & conservation, and captivity.

The range maps are tailored to each bird, such as the three islands for the Black-faced Pitta and the island-numbered map for the Elegant Pitta in the Moluccas and Sulawesi.

As a mark of good research, this book concludes with a bibliography containing over 1,300 references.

Other Related Books:
1) Pittas, Broadbills and Asities by Lambert

A SUPERB VOLUME ABOUT A LIITLE KNOWN FAMILY OF BIRDS-THE PIITAS.
ALTHOUGH THE TEXT IS SCHOLARLY,IT IS ACCESSIBLE.THE AUTHOR MUST HAVE TRACKED DOWN EVERY SCRAP OF PUBLISHED INFORMATION ON THESE BIRDS,BECAUSE THE REFERENCE LIST HAS MORE THAN 1,300 ENTRIES.
AND THEN THERE ARE THE COLOR PLATES!THIRTY-TWO MAGNIFICENT FULL PAGE PLATES,A VISUAL FEAST.
I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ORNITHOLOGISTS OR ANYONE WHO LIKES BEAUTIFUL BIRD BOOKS.


BILL NEWTON

Dr. Pierce details in an interesting and thought provoking way the struggles of the African-American population to gain an equal voice within the community of Indianapolis.

From the prospective of a 60's generation who grew up in Gary, Polite Protest was enlightening and disturbing. I was uncomfortable reading about how long African-Americans had to struggle for equality in education, housing and employment.

Without these significant changes in our society, it would be impossible for me to share a cup of coffee with the author, attend one of his classes, or live in the same neighborhood.

Thank you Dr. Pierce for writing and enlightening, explaining and exploring. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to understand and learn.

Much has been written about the Great Migration, and the evolution of African American protest in Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit. But the African American community developed differently in Indianapolis than in places farther north. Indianapolis already had a sizable black community during its formative years, making African Americans an integral part of the city-building process even though they occupied different strata within the city. When compared to other African American communities in neighboring states, they routinely outpaced them in quality of life measures such as educational advancement and home ownership.

The author argues that this investment in the city's political economy caused the black community to protect the status quo, eschewing violent protest and mass demonstrations when white civic leaders started to increase segregation measures shortly after WWI. (For example, Indianapolis had integrated secondary schools until 1927, when the school board created an all-black high school.) They instead chose forms of"polite protest," such as negotiation and coalition building.

The author examines five examples of this "polite protest," ranging from high school basketball to housing and work opportunities. He concludes that while the African American community did manage to hold some ground, they were unable to increase their fortunes once the wall of segregation was securely established. As he states, "...I am not dismissive of the protest strategies...but I remain critical of their choices..."

Clearly and concisely written , this book is an important contribution to urban studies.

The Poor Christ of Bomba was an assigned reading in my college seminar class dealing with French colonialism in Africa last semester. I enjoyed it immensely-it was enjoyable yet educational. The narrator speaks with a refreshing and poignant naive honesty. Whether you are interested in colonialism in Africa or a good read, please pick this novel up!

In this Book Mongo Beti castigates a system that must have first initiated him to the written word. The satire here is very subtle but hardly loses its potency. At first glance, The Reverend Father Superior comes across as the true believer that he is: a real man of God. He is well respected by the local people and even loved. But as is typical of the European expatriate community, he does not bother to find out what the people think. He comes as a benevolent spirit who is equiped with the message of Christ to save the "pagans", but somehow, only the women (most from polygamous households) and the children are interested in his salvation. The men, the real holders of power in the community are not ready to submit to his new doctrine. He believes this is because it requires them to give up their multiple wives and practice monogamy as his doctrine requires. He holds this assumption for twenty years until the time comes when his mission falls apart. This begins when the young women engaged to be married to some villagers, and who he has been charged to make into Christian wives, have instead become his indentured servants helping to build his mission. His other local employees, sensing that what is good for the goose is good for the gander, also take advantage of this opportunity to obtain sexual favors from this women. The good man of God, after twenty years of false belief finally gets the truth from his African cook. The local men believe, so the cook says, that the reverend father is hiding the truth from them. They do not want to hear about God, eternal life, and matters of the spirit. They knew these things long before the whiteman came. All they want to know is the whiteman's secret: his airplanes, and other issues of his technology which the reverend father does not want to divulge. This realization somehow hastens the good man's departure from Africa. He is a dissapointed man. This paradox of good intensions and failed hopes has characterized African/European encounters since. The European priest has come with readymade ideas of what he thinks Africans need. It turns out Africans do not want what he is offering. The Africans do no want to be led to the whiteman's religion. They want his airplanes, and his technology. They want his secret but not his doctrine. Mongo Beti portrays the reverend father as a good father who is pained by his wayward children. He exposes the failures of the missionary system without ridiculing it, no doubt keeping in mind from whom he himself got his first taste of the written word.

I've read other books by Cynthia Moss, and she's a great combination of passionate animal advocate and scientist. She knows her material and is well connected with other animal experts in the area. Just a great, great book, fascinating information given straight, neither sentimental nor overly gruesome, well interpreted, tempered, but above all an articulate voice for animals. She respects them and describes them exactly as they are and as they struggle to deal with growing human populations. She's done great things for animals and for humans by educating us; see her website and Amboseli National Park information.

This is it! The classic!
Moss covers the essentials of the large mammals of East Africa in readable but scientifically accurate descriptions -- describing not only the mammals but their behavior and habitat.
Every future traveler to East Africa would do well to read the sections of this book covering the animals the traveler expects to observe prior to traveling -- the first time and each time. This book is out of print, but widely available in libraries.

Normally books on African predators are full of pictures with little text or the reverse. This book contains an excellent balance of both, wonderful photographs illustrating a very interestingly written text. I was very struck with the quality of the writing and how easy it was to navigate the book.
I was also pleased that the author is so knowledgeable about the habits of these animals, that he was able to debunk some of the more popular myths about the species.
The photography was first rate.... I was extermely pleased with my acquisition.

I originally purchased this book after skimming it in a store (the pictures sold me). However, after reading it I think it's likely one of the best books out there about African predators and would be really useful if one is planning a safari in Africa. The book is geared towards someone that is going on safari as it covers many aspects of the animal; all of which help to give the observer a better understanding of what they are seeing. Despite this leaning towards future observers the book would be interesting to anyone that is fascinated by the animals featured in it (leopards, cheetahs, lions, hyenas, and crocodiles). If you are like me and watch every show on TV about African predators (that was made within the last 7 years) then the book probably does not contain much that you have not heard before, but if you only have seen a few shows or done a little bit of reading then the book will contain some new information. If you are an African predator junkie then the pictures alone will make the purchase worth it. I also have to mention how well the book is organized and written. It's starts off with a typical day/s for the animal then goes into some of the biology and anatomy and then goes into behavior of the animal; all of which is very useful in understanding the animal and even more so if you are going to observe the animal in the wild. Also, in the reading useful tips are made about how to find and identify the predators. I only have two complaints. First, there is nothing about the African wild dog. I am assuming that this is due to their rarity and most people do not encounter them on safari. Second, I would like the book to have been longer (it's about 205 pages), but being realistic the book is a great deal (I would have easily paid over $40 for it) and if it wasn't such a good book 200 pages would have been way more than enough.

Overall, I don't think National Geographic could have done a better job. If you want an informative book that is realistic and contains some great realistic photos get this book. If you don't care about the reading and you want a book that just has pictures of the major African animals then consider "On This Earth: Photographs from East Africa" by Nick Brandt (I've looked at and liked both but bought "Predator....").

A great book for all to read who have either been or considering doing a safari in Africa.
I have made 2 trips to Africa, 8 weeks each time and found this book informative, you learn things you never actually stopped to notice or even think about!
Enjoy the read!

A PRIDE OF AFRICAN TALES is a collection of folktales which have their roots in several West African nations including Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria. Each story is preceded by a brief introduction which gives readers a little background on the history and origin of the particular tale. Although I enjoyed all of the stories in the collection, my two favorites were "Shansa Mutoungo Shima" and "The Roof of Leaves." "Shansa Mutoungo Shima" tells the story of Bwalya, a young woman who learns an important lesson about judging people by the way they look. In "The Roof of Leaves" a married couple has an argument followed by a misunderstanding, and both of them must learn an important lesson about swallowing their pride and more importantly about forgiveness.

In the introduction, author Donna L. Washington states that the stories which make up this collection are meant to be told not read, and she encourages readers to bring the stories to life. This book is a "must have" for any child's library, as it is the type of book that can be read over and over again. The book is well organized and the stories are diverse and will appeal to both boys and girls. Washington has compiled a wonderful collection which pairs West African Folktales with a splash of history. Additional resources are provided at the end of the book for readers wanting to learn more about the origins of a particular story and for further reading. James Ransome's eye-catching illustrations add yet another dimension to this collection, and I was impressed by the way the illustrations for each story were consistent with the setting in which it took place.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I don't mean to take anything away from the compiler of these
tales (Donna Washington) because they are a fine group and
she does a wonderful job of retelling them. But I am a collector
of children's books and I collect with the quality of llustrations in mind. So my review is mostly about the illustrations.

James Ransome has had the happy fortune to often be associated with books of really high quality, and I would have to say that of all those that I am familiar with, this is probably his best. It is a great coming together of story, illustration, & printing that makes collecting children's books fun and satisfying.

The illustrations are vivid, lush, and provide a real sense of
place. Ransome captures the villages, the market place, the
forests & grasslands of Africa that I have found equalled only by illustrator Trina Schart Hyman.

A wonderful bonus to the book is the map in the front and
the "Story Notes and Further Reading" in the back. A perfect
book for a school library.

This book is laugh-out-loud-hilarious. The first time I read this story, I was giggling so hard that I could barely speak. A very cute story for young and old alike.

This rhythmic story to keeps cleverness of monkeys while "love conquers all". King Gorilla discovers a keg of vinegar water. He challenges anyone who can drink this new kind of water..can marry King Gorilla's beautiful daughter. (Catchy) All fail but the clever monkey(s). In the end she only marries for love.
A must-do story for you teller of tales!

The late Byron Farwell has to be the ultimate historian of Victorian military history, and this is one of his best works, along with "Queen Victoria's Little Wars" and "The Great War in Africa". The story of the Mahdi and his fundamentalist revolt in the Sudan in the late 1880s is the stuff that movies are made of (ie., "Khartoum", "The Four Feathers"), but what makes this book work is its detailed description of the trials and tribulations of 3 Western prisoners of the Mahdi who survived harrowing ordeals in the Sudan but lived to tell the story. Their stories are woven around such climactic battles as the siege of Khartoum and the Battle of Omdurman, giving these two pivotal events a more human feel, given the masterly work of the author. The events in the Sudan in the late 19th Century continue to effect us in the 21st Century, and the Mahdi was the first modern promoter of the type of militant fundamentalist Islam that is so occupied by the headlines of today. Although he was rebelling against a corrupt Egyptian (and British influenced) occupational administration, the excesses and barbarities of his reign were eggregious to the extreme, and Farwell puts everything into a fascinating perspective where you simulateously admire and despise the man. He remains a cultural hero and icon to many people in the Muslim world of today. A fascinating and highly recommended read.

The author gives a vivid picture of all the major figures involved in the Mahdist revolt, from Mohammed Ahmed and the Khalifa Abdullahi to the three main European prisoners. With detailed accounts of military engagements, the stories of those trapped in the Sudan, and escape attempts, this is very engrossing reading.