1 comments about Berlitz Cape Town Pocket Guide (Berlitz Pocket Guides S.).

1. Just enough info to start you on your way! Absolutely a must take on your trip to capetown!

1 comments about No Man's Land.

1. Many short stories bound together. EZ reading that will keep you reading for hours.

No comments about The Beauty of Kenya.

No comments about Picturing a Colonial Past: The African Photographs of Isaac Schapera.

No comments about Michelin Africa Central, South, and Madagascar Map No. 955 (Michelin Maps & Atlases).

1 comments about Ndebele: The Art of an African Tribe.

1. I saw this book at the home of an artist friend once. These portraits of East African women and their exquisitely painted homes are rare gems indeed. What I also appreciate about this work is that photographer Margaret Courtney-Clarke lavishes such attention and respect to the other cultural aspects of these beautiful people that she could be labeled a sociologist as well.

   The publisher, Rizzoli, sows an appropriately generous amount of quality into this book; even the paper is noticeably superior.

   My only question is, when will this magnificent work be made available again? I've had it on order at several stores for well over a year now!

No comments about A Novice On The Nile - Big Game Hunting In The Sudan.

No comments about Beautiful Kenya (Beautiful).

3 comments about Ethiopia, the Unknown Land: A Cultural and Historical Guide.

1. Although not a "tourist guide" this book is a handy reference for anyone with interest in this land. Munro-Hay's subtitle: The Unknown Land provides a clue to the problem he faced in summarizing the history and culture of this ancient country. Known to early Christians as the land of "Prester John," Ethiopia's nearly landlocked location and rugged terrain has made it a challenge to scholars for millennia. Munro-Hay makes an earnest effort to enlighten us on many aspects of Ethiopian history and culture. Rather than provide a surface overview, he divides the country into regions based on ancient kingdoms. It's an effective means of organizing the complex store of research he's brought to the task.

   After an opening overview of Ethiopian history, the author provides a survey of the role of the Church in the society. For Ethiopia, this element cannot be overstated. Churches and their rituals are a fundamental part of Ethiopia life. He details the structure of church hierarchy and the roles assigned the various officers. Rituals and other aspects such as religious art are also described. Munro-Hay then gives a brief survey of the foreigners who entered the country, evaluating their published accounts. Foreign impact played a major role in how Ethiopia came to be a modern nation, with Portuguese, Arabs and others providing architectural expertise, trade and political developments. Some lasting impact of the Italian invasion in this century is added.

   The theme of this book relates the histories of ten important regions making up historical Ethiopia and into modern times. While all had their impact, three are of particular import. Gondar, situated near Lake Tana, was considered to be ruled by descendants of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Munro-Hay sees the political patterns set in ancient Gondar to carry through Ethiopia history until modern times. The heritage was so important that even usurpers found ways of establishing legitimacy by claiming descent from those origins. Munro-Hay provides diagrams of ancient Gondar and vivid descriptions of what remains from a glorious imperial city.

   Next in significance is the ancient site of Aksum. Certainly, as Munro-Hay notes, it's of vital archaeological importance and worth any visitor's time and effort. Well north of Addis Ababa and on the way to the Red Sea, Aksum nearly disappeared until extensive excavations during the 1970s revealed its importance. The remnants of the city are dotted with numerous stone stelae, possibly inspired by similar constructions in Egypt, Ethiopia's
   neighbour. Munro-Hay conducts us on a tour of these and other historical sites in a compelling chapter. As a participant in some of the exploratory work, the author is well-suited to describe what has been revealed. He does so with verve and close detail.

   In his Forward, Munro-Hay reminds us that at the time of writing, Ethiopia had provided the oldest representative of our ancestry, Don Johanson's "Australopithecus afarensis," the 3.6 million-year old "Lucy." It's somewhat of a surprise that Ethiopia's other prehistory doesn't emerge for another 350 pages. In Yeha, "the beginnings of Ethiopian civilization are rooted," including the distinctive script still in use. Close to the Red Sea, Yeha appears to have adopted Semitic languages and religious artefacts from its Arabic neighbours. Pre-Christian temples and other buildings may still be seen there.

   Munro-Hay is an acknowledged leader in the study of Ethiopia. This book is a monument to his scholarship. Rich in detail and presenting both ancient and modern aspects of Ethiopian life, it provides excellent resource material for anyone wishing to pursue the topic. At less than 400 pages, the book is also a worthwhile companion to the traveler. Clearly written and beautifully organized for both scholar and tourist, this book will remain useful for some time.




2. I purchased this book because I was looking for an in-depth study of Ethiopian culture, both past and present. However, it soon became apparent that the book's subtitle "A Cultural and Historical Guide" was somewhat misleading. Rather, Mr. Munro-Hay provides a detailed and scholarly analysis of Ethiopian historical sites. The publisher would have been well-advised to use the subtitle "An Archaeological Survey" instead. If that is what you're looking for, then this book is ideal. But if you want information on contemporary Ethiopian culture, it would be best to look elsewhere.



3. The author shows little respect for Ethiopians in General, numerous instances he describes Ethiopians artifacts as "meager", "dingy" etc. This is unacceptable in my opinion because if your going to write about a place then at least be respectful of the place and the people,the author shows little respect for the overall Culture. Ethiopia has been through many violent episodes in the past so if little fragments of history survive in a tarnished manner take account of the fact that wars are usually unkind to places where wars were fought. I read the intro and noticed the author focused on the Names Aksum which is correct towards one of the ancient name of Ethiopia, also correctly naming Kush a neighboring country north of Ethiopia that impressed me so I bought the book anticipating some quality information. After receiving and reading the first 15 pages the author begins to show his unethusiatic attitutde for Ethiopian History which turned off this reader so I returned my copy and will continue searching for quality unbiased information for Ethiopia.

1 comments about This Is South Africa (This Is ... a World of Exotic Travel Destinations).

1. This book is absolutely beautiful inside - featuring lots of postcard-worthy photographs.
   
   The pictures in the book are of actual places we have seen on our visit to South Africa - very representative of what the country actually looks like.
   
   These are the pictures we would have taken ourselves - if the sun was always shining . . . if we had a telephoto lens . . . if we were professional photographers . . . if the perfect moments had presented themselves . . . if the wildlife would have stayed still!
   
   Except for pictures of the people you meet, you could leave the camera at home, and just buy this book!