Africa Books

Compelling, uplifting and utterly absorbing, this book must certainly have been inspired by God. It stands alone in a yet-to-be-determined class, and must, in time, surely be regarded as a classic. HIGHLY recommended for readers of all denominations - including unbelievers!

Compelling, uplifting, and utterly absorbing, this book must certainly have been inspired by God! It stands alone in a yet-to-be-determined class, and must, in time, surely be regarded as a classic. HIGHLY recommended for readers of all denominations - including unbelievers!

I have just finished this book. Now I can hardly wait for the new one. The whole story kept me spellbound and I just didn't want it to end. The writer puts a lot of herself into all her books, and this, as well as everything she believes in, is portrayed in some manner in them. That's what makes them so special. I felt as though I knew right where everything was taking place. I could see Johannesburg on the map and just routed out from there.

I know that I know that I know that this is a good book! I have read many others of this period, and I find this one well written, excitingly paced, with charming characters. For me it's on a par with The Sound of Music in making belief in God attractive and real. Well done!

Thank you for being such a good writer. Your thoughts and the way you express them are pure beauty. Your novels contain such valuable ideas and are so well expressed that the deepest ones can reach the soul. Congratulations! And keep on writing. The world needs you!

There are many good books of reference on African American history published. However, this one ranks among the best. Well written, user-friendly layout, addressing a broad range of topics, this is recommended for a home or classroom library to teach that all members of a society contribute to its advancement and that our society must be inclusive of all members. Every child can be proud of his or her cultural and historical heritage in a country created by immigrants.

The author states in his introduction that this book is not to be viewed as a text book, but rather to be used as supplement. It's a rather comprehensive supplement with captivating text! This book is organized in easy reading segments that are all numbered 1 thru 1001 & also divided within 6 Parts (Sports, Culture and Religion. . .). I feel as if the author is talking with me personally. History boring? I don't think so with this book! I plan to use this book with homeschooling as well as "homeschooling" myself! Can't wait to learn more of what I missed in school!

It's not easy to write a comprehensive history book that is also engaging and user-friendly. Author, historian, and professor Jeffrey Stewart found the way. In 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About African American History, he pens a concise yet encyclopedic narrative that highlights the people and events underlying the amazing story of African American history.

Stewart organizes his work around six sections: Gretat Migration, Civil Rights, Science, Sports, Military, and Religion. This is a book you can read cover to cover or one article at a time in any order.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction .

This is a wonderful wealth of information written at a level that easily read and interpreted by students. It should become an addition to every classroom library.

Took me absolutely forever to read this book - months! But I loved it and certainly learned a lot. Stewart is to be commended for pulling so much information together in a marvelously cohesive book. Prints and photographs are terrific. And for those who want more on the subject, and there is more, believe it or not, there is a black history calendar, a desk calendar, also chuck full of history and info.

Shephard created a book satiated with texture, woven in embroidery of dyes and rituals. In African Accents, the author shares with us her stories through textiles. She recreates African accents for readers who have formerly collected pieces of cultural tradition and for the newly converted. Scanning through the craft section of any bookstore, one could notice a scarcity of African crafts, house style, and decorating books. With this book, Shephard undertakes a worthy task. The author's time spent in Senegal piqued her already flourishing interest in African design. Shephard prefaces each chapter with anecdotes, the significance of fiber technique, and facts about the fabrics used for the easy to follow hand-made crafts she shares later in the book. The author separates the fabric regionally and explains the social and rich cultural aspects tied into the various designs and processes.
The first part of the book is devoted to recreating the essence of each separate style of fabric, (that is, if you choose to). Some fabric recreations are simple and others are intricate including embroidery and weaving. Shephard cautions that replicating the fabric does not replace the real thing, but could rather deepen one's appreciation for the years of apprenticeship. In reproducing the designs on the fabrics, the book includes actual sized symbols with their meaning. Some of the Ashanti designs on the fabrics, the author indicates, are the equivalent of the European family crest.
In part two of the book the chapters are devoted to each room of your home and the art of gift giving. Secrets and tricks are provided to lend your pillows, clocks and picture frames the professional touch. There is certainly no limitation of "how to" procedures. I tried a few myself and although the suggestion of the staple gun for the kente stool fell short of my expectation (probably the gun itself) I pulled out the old hammer and nail and my stool looked unfailingly as Shephard had promised. Some of the crafts, if you were not handy with a sewing machine would be better left to the local tailor. Yet, there was a time when a sewing machine was a staple in most family's homes. The art of sewing and the practicality of its uses have been forgotten. But if sewing seems impossible for you, Shephard happily offers other easy alternatives.
This is a consummate reason for a recommendation of this slim book to be on the shelves of all art leagues. The book makes it apparent that Spanish and French artists popular in the 19th and 20th centuries have gained much of their appeal with the use of African art infused with their own. Shephard's passion for the continent exudes throughout the book, aquatinting the reader with crafts and fabric otherwise inaccessible. It is a craft-book du nouveau, a comprehensive history lesson, and a full color tabletop book. It is a significant forefront of a happily growing movement. Through this thoughtful undertaking the beauty of the textiles, that have been admired and used for years, could now have intimate meanings and representations. Choosing that kente, Kuba or mudcloth after reading Shephard's book will add new substance to its use.

Yasmain Broady-Soya...

African Accents by Lisa Shepard is more than just another book with homey decorator projects for the Do-It-Yourselfer. As Shepard makes clear in her introduction, her passion for genuine African fabrics is based on admiration for their strong colors and designs coupled an educated appreciation for the craftsmanship that goes into their creation.

Since she recognizes that collection of these beautiful fabrics may well be beyond the reach of the average pocketbook, she sets out to teach us how to duplicate the look with affordable materials and then provides detailed instructions for sophisticated decorating projects that are reasonably easy to accomplish.

Make your own stamps with potatoes, compressed sponges or rubber stamps to get the look of Adinkra cloth. Shepard provides over 20 different Adinkra symbols to copy together with their African names and meanings.

Choose from over a dozen images to create unique Korhogo designs (and I dare you to resist trying the panels and floor cloth projects in the book). Try mudcloth, Kuba cloth or Kasaii velvet.

The instructions are clear and the power of the designs would enhance just about any room in your home or office.

They would also be fairly easy for a school group or Scout troop to teach children about the strength and beauty of the cultures they represent. I can easily imagine a group of kids having a good time creating Adinkra stamps at a children's birthday party.

Shepard expresses the hope that working on the projects will increase the readers appreciation for the real thing. A quick glance through this lovely book will convince you.

This was exactly what I was searching for...beautiful, inspiring photos of projects that you can easily do for yourself. If has great graphic designs you can copy and use for stenciling, stamping, etc. Loved the cardboard spear and the textiles.

I must have bought 10 other books on exotic decor, ethnic decor and this is the only one that really thrilled me.

I enjoyed lisa's book but I'm not much of a craftsperson. I love african style, and came away with some good ideas. Some of these projects require more than I am willing to give. I'm into simplistic projects that look like there was alot of effort. The projects range from easy to not so easy. The are some good internet sources but some of them are no longer avalible. I have not attempted any of the crafts in the book but I'm looking foreward to Lisa's next release (coming out in October). I think her next release may be what I'm looking for.

Ms. Shepard's knowledge and appreciation for African textiles and crafts is shown with style throughout this book. The craft instructions are clear and easy to follow (even for a novice craftsperson like myself!) The photographs are terrific also, they act as real motivators to try some of these great decorating ideas. How refreshing to see a crafts and decorating book with culturally diverse appeal!

Having both lived in and travelled throughout Brazil in my youth, as well as having studied Portuguese and Brazilian History, Economics and Sociology in college, I consider myself to be a true "Brazil Nut". A while back, I reviewed a book on Amazon.com, Brazil, Five Centuries of Change, by Thomas Skidmore, which I gave accolades to, and I will applaud Uys' marvelous work Brazil for the same reason: it gives both the novice and the Brazil expert an excellent understanding for the complex history, culture and geography of this little known Latin American giant.

I can not hardly add anything to the great customer reviews. I took this book along on my last trip to Brazil and now I must encourage anyone who is traveling or has a deep interest in Brazil, read this book. Doing so may not only engrave visions of Brazil's history in your mind through an entertaining means, something that history books fail to do but it may also enlighten your understanding of why Brazil is the way it is and what makes Brazilians act the way they do. This is what it did for me. Thank you Mr.Uys

To view a country and write as seen through their people is a difficult task. Errol Uys' re-release of Brazil is a blazing success. This book creates an image and feel for the country that truly leaves a concrete imprint in the mind of the reader. This well-researched book is a facinating epic for fans of historical fiction as well as lovers of non-fiction.

Brazil's history, sociology, ethnicity, politics, etc. are as big and complex as the country size. To capture all these matters in a correct way in just one book is a task that's simply impossible. However, I feel that Errol Lincol Uys knew that, and what he has done in his book is to create a "big picture"of Brazil, and that was the right thing to do. His research and knowledge of the portuguese language are impressive for a non-brazilian, although there are many mistakes, in both aspects. When these mistakes were relative to the language, I found them completely normal, because portuguese is a very difficult and complexe language, even more difficult for someone who comes from a non-latin-speaking country. When the mistakes were relative to brazilian history and its further development, I was angry at first, but then I realised that Uys, as a foreigner, had access mostly to the "normal" and "adjusted" history of my country. Every country has its "adjusted" history, the history full of martyrs, dramatic situations, sword duels, fights for freedom, etc. That's the history that Uys tells his readers.

One other thing. As many authors dealing with the fictionalized history of a country, Uys makes a common mistake. He simply ignores the latest century. As a consequence, the book pratically ends at the turn of the twentieth century, and many interesting and important things have happened in Brazil in the XX century are left behind: Getulio Vargas, the transition from an agrarian to an industrialized country, the military dictatorship and many, many more. Of course, as I said before, it's impossible to completely cover an entire country's history in just one book, but "Brazil" could be two- or three-hundred pages longer and it would not be better or worse, just more complete.

So, in the end, "Brazil" is a good start for someone who is interested in the country. The book is mostly accurate and well researched, but it's just a gimpse of what Brasil really is.

Grade 8.3/10

Having lived in and travelled throughout Brazil, as well as having studied Portuguese, Brazilian sociology and Brazilian economics in college, I consider myself to be a true "Brazil Nut"...On Amazon.com, I have highly recommended Brazil, 5 Centuries of Change, by Thomas Skidmore, and now I will highly recommend Brazil by Erol Lincoln Uys for mostly the same reasons...it gives both the novice and the Brazil expert a true feeling for the fascinating history, culture and geography of this little known giant of Latin America. I especially like the final updated chapter which brings the reader up to the 500th anniversary of Pedro Cabral's 1500 Discovery of Brazil.

Very useful if you want to go there and understand the real Morocco. Well written, too.

It is all very well, but the main vehicle of culture is the language. This book is helpful in highlighting cultural features but a good section on the language would also be a good idea.

I have spent 3 summers in Morocco and 5 years with my husband who is Moroccan and this book clarified a lot aspects of Moroccan life for me. No matter how objective one may be about cultural differences, it helps to have a neutral party explain what is happening in a given interaction. I didn't even realize how much I suffered from culture shock until I read "Culture Shock!" Particually helpful were the author's comments on the difference in Western and Eastern concepts of personal space, public space and privacy.

In anticipation of accompanying my close Moroccon friend to his homeland on a business trip with another American, I read this book in one sitting and read it twice more before leaving for Morocco. It proved to be an invaluable tool to better understanding my Moroccan friend here in the states and it provided knowledge, information and tips that proved priceless during my recent stay in Morocco. I have no doubt that had I not read this book, I would have had a very different experience. This book enabled me to have the most incredible travel experience of my life despite the fact that I don't speak arabic or french. At the very least I had an understanding of this wonderfully rich culture steeped in tradition. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Morocco whether for travelling or simply interested in the country, their people and customs. While this book is ideal for someone relocating, I found it to be more useful than any of the other travel companions I purchased for my trip. Any future travel plans of mine will start with a purchase of "Culture Shock..." for that country.

After reading this book, now I'm all the more excited to go to Morocco. Hargraves paints such a vivid picture of the people, the culture. It is a complicated society, very foreign to my understanding and experience. And yet, as I read through it, so many times, page after page, I realize that the culture is so familiar, so like my experience. Most of all, I now understand that it will take a lifetime to learn to adapt to Moroccan culture. I am eager to see how the words lift off the pages and into reality.

Almost every page has nuggets and key points to learn and understand, and my copy is mostly yellow from highlighting. One aspect that I wish were different, though- Hargraves appears too often to accept the stratification in Moroccan culture, and the mistreatment of the lower classes, as par the course, and something Moroccans accept, and therefore something that we should accept, and something culturally neutral. There is so much good in Moroccan society, but, just as in any society, some that is not as good as well.

But that's only one small detraction in an otherwise great text. Particularly interesting is the quiz at the end of the book, where you test one's knowledge gained through reading. I've never seen this in any other culture or travel book, and it should really be more common! Hargraves doesn't just repeat information here either- rather, he asks the reader to intuit the answers not yet given, from the information that he's previously provided- and then of course, he provides all the possible correct answers.

I want to learn how to live and eat and talk and think, Moroccan. I want to see what it means to be a Moroccan who is so adept at adaptation to so many different cultural situations. I want to learn to engage in real Arab relationship, and to learn how to politely refuse a request, and how to be a good guest, and a good host. I want to learn how to serve the Moroccan peoples. If you're interested in this as well, then this is a book you need to get.

Dangerous Game is one FANTASTIC read.
Its gritty, its real, its brutal ... it's Africa. (T.I.A.)
I think that unless one has lived there, it's not easy to understand the `mentality' and politics.
This is a "shooter's" story, with lots to engage the imagination.
Warning: this is not a fairy tale, it is an Honest tale that flows quickly and will take you into places that will make your hair stand on end.
I can't wait for his next book!
-Dave.

This book is nonstop excitement gives you the the feeling of actually being there. While most books and movies tend to be politically correct on the subject of modern Africa Dangerous Game does not go that route but instead takes the reader on a safari that National Geographic would not dare go. On this this journey you will see the corruption, aids, drug smuggling, violence, and other things that would have Kipling spinning in his grave. I first heard of this book on sniper [...] and after reading the reviews and excerpts I was intrigued enough to buy the book and can't put it down Don Hollway is an excellent writer and look forward to reading more of his books.

I really enjoyed reading the novel. It seems to have captured certain themes of Africa rather accurately. I could readily identify with the descriptions and the way in which the characters played their parts. They, the dust, and the chase are real, and tangible to any person who has Africa in their soul.

Africa. Big game hunting. Army style. In this book Don tells the story of a Delta Force sniper that has major troubles in the streets of Mogadishu. In the aftermath he leaves the army but returns to Africa. As Don puts it "This is NOT Hemingway's Africa"! Drugs, corruption, wealthy man with his own private army, beautiful ex-Spetnaz sniper and ...well heck I ain't gonna tell you the whole story!!
Somali warlord, Kenyan government officials, CIA - gee them AGAIN - and real animal wildlife, and that's just the first few chapters!
What a read!!!

Just finished the book this morning (got it yesterday morning). This looks like a movie in the making. As an avid hunter and shooter myself I really appreciate the details. There is the true contrast between humanity and civilization relating to all of the classes of people detailed. The characters come to life with true authenticity and fervour and the battle of Good v. Evil rages on. The ending was wonderfully done and I enjoyed the book from cover to cover (so to speak.) The book is a must have for any hunter/shooter and the story is excellent. I must have a copy for my collection and and I fully intend to send copies to friends of mine. Truly one of the best reads I have had in a while all BS aside. Thanks for the opportunity to preview it and it was indeed well written. Here's your quote," No questions...a gotta have book!"

Another great discours from Aimee Cesaire reagrding the Europeans bumbling excuse for justifying the illegal acquistion of others peoples land and resources, and slavery. No wonder I personally have BLACK RAGE.

the quality of the product was the very best. it also arrived when i expected it too. i needed it in a crunch time and it came through beautifully.

This is a fascinating book for folks interested in the international decolonization movement of the 50s and 60s, and its relation to the Black Power movement in the States. The Discourse is beautifully written and passionately argued. The interview helps clarify Cesaire and Senghor's concept of "Negritude" as an early form of Black pride, rather than racial essentialism. The essay introduction is worthwhile since it puts the book in relation to Cesaire's poetic work and the Surrealist movement in France, America, and the Antilles. It's unduly dismissive of Cesaire's Marxist politics, especially since it goes against the spirit of the interview appended at the end.

I read Cesaire's 'discours sur le colonialisme' in one afternoon at a coffe place and it was captivating in how intellectually he wrote, with tinges of attitude in the words. A lot of the things he wrote about I already knew from studying a lot about Africa before and what ethnocentricism vs. ethno relativism means when applying yourself and perceptions of other cultures. This book is as applicable in the 1950's as today, I found that America seems to be the new France and Britain, as far as imperialism goes.

This book has so many good points about how one must look at the non Occidental world. Whenever I hear people talking about Africa in a degrading way in that the continent needs the Western world to give it medicine, schools, etc . . .it infuriates me with the lack of research these people have done. Although one can't expect everyone to know, but they would at least get a glimpse if they read this. They would see that it is the fault of the Occidentaux which is why Africa is in the state it is now. Before Europeans went there, the people of this rich, great continent had their own cultures, laws, languages, writing, religions that worked very well for them. Because they were different than Europes ways, they were viewed as primitive and uncivilized, but you can't measure a civilization by the same standards of another, far different one. Just because they didn't write their history down, doesn't mean they didn't have it. They used oral tradition for this, which is just one example of the European's prejudice. If Europe never went there, these African civilizations very well could have flourished and become great as the passage of time went along.

Colonization has done it's damage, Cesaire talks about decolonizing our minds, I wonder how long that will take to accomplish? I would recommend this short read to anyone who wants to try to get out of their own cultural shell and think about the way the world is viewed from the viewpoint of others, even though this book is seriously outdated and seems like the author has never even been to Africa.

Frantz Fanon is a more compelling read though (even though he's a bit of a misogynist), try "black skin, white masks" or "l'an V de la revolution algerienne/a dying colonialism".

In Aimé Césaire's "Discourse on Colonialism," She very blatantly voices her opinion that a (European) civilization that is:

...incapable of solving the problems it creates is a decadent civilization. A civilization that chooses to close its eyes to the most crucial problems is a stricken civilization. [and finally] A civilization that uses its principles for trickery and deceit is a dying civilization. (31)

As well as applying for both Britain's presence in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, and France's colonial presence in Africa and the Caribbean, this powerful statement could become an equation for the line drawn between one country's involvements with another.

For example, here is an unmistakable connection here to the US' involvement in Iraq. Are we as a nation decadent? Stricken? Dying? The over $155B spent in Iraq (...) instead of other national priorities. Cesaire's points are very relevant to the times as she brings further knowledge and past histories into the damage of Colonialism: "...at the present time the barbarism of Western Europe...being only surpassed...by the barbarism of the United States" (47).
She talks about the `gangrene' of impartiality, in regards to the French hearing stories that are disturbing and pornographic. "Colonization, I repeat, dehumanizes even the most civilized man" (Césaire 41). A theme prevalent in films such as Black Girl, Chocolat, and Xala. It is easy to be impartial when one is ignorant.

This was the first book I had read by this author, I found her style captivating.She has the ability of making the personality become real in one's world.I wanted the book to go on and on.

I've read this book several times over the last 10 years. This time, it had been packed away after a move and I hadn't seen it in quite a while. When I pulled it out of a box I was searching through for something else, I immediately sat down to read it again. I would love to pass it on to my daughter, who is 14, but I had forgotten about some of the more "romantic" scenes. Someday, though, I know she'll enjoy it as much as I have. This is just one of those books that you carry with you forever. Treat yourself to this one and you'll be glad you did.

I'm always looking for books about Africa. The fact that Ms. Bickmore has never been to Africa was an initial turn-off. It's strange to me that she didn't travel there before using it as a setting for her book. So I think that her descriptions of Africa was what a well-read American would expect. From my limited travel in African (five trips to East and South Africa), I'd say she did that part pretty well.

As to the story itself, it's all about indendent women and the price they pay for that independence. Her three women all married (or committed) too young!

What can I say, I absolutely loved this book. I hated for it to end. I was so drawn in right from the beginning and stayed that way through the entire book. The characters were well developed and believable. I have read three of Bickmores other books and loved all of them as well, but this one is my favorite.

This book is absolutely the best book I have ever read. I've read it about 5 times(both books)and I just love it. It's catching, you can't tear yourself from it until you're finished. You feel like your right there, living their lives and I cry everytime I read the sad parts. I recommend this book to everyone, read it, you won't be the same.

The jacket cover read really well but the writing was rather dry. I didn't care for the dialog going back and forth. It is a great story not written that well.

This tender memoir shows us a side of society that exists in many African countries but is seldom portrayed--the upper middle class. I found it refreshing to read about the lives of Africans of means who aren't embezzlers and tin-pot dictators or blood-crazed war lords bent on carving out a kingdom from the flesh of their victims. Helene Cooper's family certainly had its share of flawed characters, but their lifestyle wasn't vastly different from Americans in similar economic circumstances.
Their fates, of course, were very different and her handling of the impact of the turmoil in Liberia on her family gives the book some serious drama.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo

This is one of the best memoirs I've ever read. It presents a "new" "African American" experience that we need to hear more about. Like Obama, Cooper is an African American who arrived at that "label" in a unique way. Her book highlights yet another path and, boy, am I glad she wrote about it. Thank you Helene. When's your next book coming? I'll be waiting.

Helene Cooper's memoir of growing up in Liberia is one of those books that you just can't put down. I was pretty groggy there for a few days after reading late into the night!

Because I grew up in the U.S. at the same time as the author, I was captivated by the stories of her girlhood. Nancy Drew, green eye shadow, Barry White, velvet upholstery... even singing Blessed Assurance endlessly. It all sounds so familiar, and yet, that's where the similarity ends. Guns and war, soldiers and strongmen, rapes and executions. We who grew up in the relative safety of the U.S. in the latter part of the twentieth century can barely form mental images of the scenes she describes.

The professional reviews of this book say its tone is flat. I don't agree. I like the factual, unsentimental tone of the book. The author is reporting her life, in all its glory and its ugliness. If she maintains a certain reserve, or a little distance, for her sanity's sake, she sure has the right. God bless her just for surviving.

When the book ended, I was left with the question of whether Ms. Cooper ever went back to Liberia after her visit to find her sister Eunice. I looked up her recent bylines in the New York Times and enjoyed reading her articles. An epilogue about her continuing relationship with the country would have been a welcome addition to the book.

If I could rate separately for editing, I would. Ms. Cooper's editors failed her. In another edition of the book, I would hope they would fix such silly errors as using "who's" instead of "whose" and spell names consistently (Mommee/Mommy). In many places, information is repeated; in two successive paragraphs, for example, the family cook is described as grumpy and irascible. It detracts from the book in a regrettable way.

But not to end this review on a grumpy and irascible note. I loved this book and I suggest you read it along with Lawrence Hill's Someone Knows My Name: A Novel, which is based on historical events and tells the story of a woman who was enslaved in the South but who returns with the colony of African-Americans who founded Sierra Leone after the Revolutionary War. It provides another colorful look at this part of the world.

This was a great memoir. I loved how vivid the story was. It feels as though you are really living her life. Great for an interesting and informational read.

I gave this book to my husband who is working in Djibouti. So far, there have been no inconsistencies in the information presented and the actual culture, climate, etc. of Djibouti. Accurate and highly readable. I reccomend this book to anyone planning a trip to Djibouti.

I just went to Djibouti for a 10 day visit and this is one of the only English speaking guidebooks available (used). Luckily, it's very well written and the descriptions are still spot on. Maybe it's because very little changes in Djibouti given its geological history, but the author's recommendations (restaurants and tourist attractions) are still accurate. I've used a lot of lonely planet guides and this is by far the most readable and full of interesting details. Highly recommended!

As a Lonely Planet author, I'd like to echo the words of other reviewers of this book. This is clearly Lonely Planet's best title - the writing is clear, concise and informative, the asides are entertaining, the tone is objective yet engaging, and Frances Linzee Gordon's photos are nothing short of spectacular. Congratulations, Frances - you've produced a winner!

A recent front page article in the New York Times on the Lalibela churches in northern Ethiopia sent me running for my LP copy of this book. I was most pleasantly surprised to find over a dozen pages of detailed information on this incredible center of early Christianity. F. Linzee-Gordon's first hand account of a visit to the churches provided a most informative background lacking in the NY Times article. Well done!

I live in Norway, and Africa's Horn is far from my everyday life. I have travelled several times to Eritrea though, and have been searching for guide books from the country. When I went to Eritrea last fall it was with great pleasure I bought the LP book by Frances Linzee Gordon, Ethiopia, Eritrea & Djibouti.

The book is one of the best LP books I've read. The writing is clearly, and it gives us good insight in history, facts, geography, and so on. I have read parts of the book about all three countries, but the Eritrean part is the only one I have actuallu used when travelling.

The books has some very good pictures and maps, and give alot of up to date information. My favorite part is the part about Asmara's architecture, "Asmara, or Piccola Roma, soon came to epitomise the new philosophy: it was not just beautiful, but was well planned, well built and, above all, functiomal. The book is a good guide to use when you plan your travel ahead, and is even better when you actually are there and need or want information.

An extra benefit of the book is the small notes you find alot of, giving interesting information. Reading these notes makes your travel alot more special.

When I travel I use my guidebooks as kind of diaries. I write down restaurants I visit, hotel I stay at, interesting places I see and so on. And this book is filled with my writings almost on all pages. Gordon has seen it all, and gives very useful information about a very interesting, though little known country.

Britt Arnhild Lindland