5 comments about Wanderings in West Africa.

1. One must come to Burton's "Wanderings in West Africa" with the understanding that there are not a lot of primary (first-hand) sources of information about Atlantic coast Africa in the 19th century. Furthermore, the majority of books about Africa of this era (mostly by explorers and missionaries; few or none by Africans) are long out of print and can only be accessed in mjor libraries. Given that, Burton's work is a valuable and readable account of a voyage along Africa's West Coast, as far south as Fernando Po (Equatorial Guinea). (We should be thankful for the publisher.) His text is direct and readable. The account is chronological, port by port. Burton describes the the places and people and whatever catches his interest. His opinion is always present. Burton goes into many details--trade, early colonial administration, rulers, languages, etc.--and it is unlikely that any one reader would be interested in all of it, but most students of African history are likely to find something of interest. There is no index.

   It should be noted that Burton has plenty of scorn and disdain for many of the Africans he encounters (as well as for many Europeans); this is typical for Burton, but may upset a reader who is new to this writer.

   Many of the names (of places, tribes, etc.) are antiquated so a good reference book is a help.

   Overall this is not Burton's best book, but it does have a place along with his other books on Africa ("First Footsteps in East Africa", "The Lake Regions of Central Africa") and it adds something of value to the reputation of the great writer, explorer, traveler, and translator who produced "Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al Madinah and Mecca" and "The Arabian Nights".




2. Note: I am resubmitting this review so it will not be anonymous...

   One must come to Burton's "Wanderings in West Africa" with the understanding that there are not a lot of primary (first-hand) sources of information about Atlantic coast Africa in the 19th century. Furthermore, the majority of books about Africa of this era (mostly by explorers and missionaries; few or none by Africans) are long out of print and can only be accessed in mjor libraries. Given that, Burton's work is a valuable and readable account of a voyage along Africa's West Coast, as far south as Fernando Po (Equatorial Guinea). (We should be thankful for the publisher.) His text is direct and readable. The account is chronological, port by port. Burton describes the the places and people and whatever catches his interest. His opinion is always present. Burton goes into many details--trade, early colonial administration, rulers, languages, etc.--and it is unlikely that any one reader would be interested in all of it, but most students of African history are likely to find something of interest. There is no index. It should be noted that Burton has plenty of scorn and disdain for many of the Africans he encounters (as well as for many Europeans); this is typical for Burton, but may upset a reader who is new to this writer.

   Many of the names (of places, tribes, etc.) are antiquated so a good reference book is a help.

   Overall this is not Burton's best book, but it does have a place along with his other books on Africa ("First Footsteps in East Africa", "The Lake Regions of Central Africa") and it adds something of value to the reputation of the great writer, explorer, traveler, and translator who produced "Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al Madinah and Mecca" and "The Arabian Nights".




3. In WANDERINGS IN WEST AFRICA, the future Sir Richard Burton starts out with his departure from Liverpool and his arrival in Madeira, stops briefly in Tenerife (Island of the guanches in the Canary Islands) then heads down the coast (still onboard the A.S.S. Blackland), around Cape Verde and Goree, to Bathurst on St. Mary Island off Cape St. Mary near the mouth of the Gambia, then around the hump of Africa, past Elmina and Cape Coast Castle, and eventually reaches the island then known as Fernando Po (named after a Portuguese officer, Fernao do Po - now Bioko, a part of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea) near the more familiar islands of Principe and Sao Tome. Along the way, there are many vivid descriptions of people and locations.

   At Tenerife, Burton provides a short account of the conquest of the guanches and describes them as being dark-complexioned [curiously, Peter Russell, in his excellent biography PRINCE HENRY 'THE NAVIGATOR' which recounts the beginnings of European involvement in West Africa, describes them as "probably fair-haired" based on descriptions in primary Portuguese sources].

   At St. Mary's, Bathurst, he impugns Mungo Park, a well-known explorer, disparaging the latter with phrases such as "[s]o Park calls the Bomax," referring to the term "bentang" - even though a "bentenki" tree plays a role in the Lion of Manding in Courlanger's A TREASURY OF AFRICAN FOLKTALES. He also refers to Mumbo Jumbo (also mentioned by Francis Moore), which Park didn't come across until further from the coast, and coffles of slaves as "genius," implying they are fictional - notably, he fails to mention that Park wrote before the British interdiction on slave trading. The entire attack is sadly reminiscent of Burton's actions and statements in relation to J. H. Speke in Alan Moorehead's THE WHITE NILE. Here, we are also introduced to his rather curious views on Africans - (1) the "noble" race which includes Berbers and Mandingos, (2) the "ignoble" race which includes "pure-blood" or typical Africans and (3) Kaffirs or others he thinks may also be biracial. Later, we are treated to something of the history of the establishment of El Mina and Cape Coast Castle as well as the cruel type of slavery practiced by the Efiks of Calabar - a comparison with slavery in the contemporaneous South of the United States being quite to the benefit of the latter!

   All in all, the work is highly entertaining if frequently superior and derogatory to any and all with whom Mr. Burton disagrees or whom he dislikes; however, where neither Mr. Burton's desire for glory nor his prejudices come into play, the book appears to be generally accurate and informative.




4. Richard Burton's world travels are not unique. From the paleolithic onward documentations of man's trekking have been found. Capt. Burton writes much about his travels. Personal commments about the topography and people and their customs reflect the prevailing attitudes of the society from which he comes. Some observations are uncharitable, but others are of interest. Burton's eye for detail makes for fascinating reading. The intelligentsia of that period used foreign, mostly French phrases, i.e., au contraire, en passant, or other languages, Spanish, some Greek and or Latin. Many times the usage is incorrectly used, it illustrates a person of learning. That this work shows the beginning of European colonialism, the true value of this author is fascinating adventure.



5. "Wanderings in West Africa"&where does one begin&
   Well, for starters, perhaps the book should be more aptly titled Wonderings about West Africa.
   Perhaps ones impression of the book depends on what one expects. I expected a traditional travel/adventure narrative, not a commentary about Euro-African politics, African culture, ethnography (incredibly racist by the way), geography, etc., that could have easily been written from Sir Richard Burtons study, with access to a moderately well-stocked library. Indeed, there is very little evidence from the book itself that Sir Richard ever even visited the West African coast that is how detached the actual words are from what he must have actually encountered.
   According to his own narrative, Sir Richard never stayed in any one place more than 24 hours, yet in his writings he expands his writings on each of those locales to 50+ pages! While the book is titled Wanderings in Africa, nearly half of the entire first volume is about his preparation for the trip and getting to Africa making the reader wonder if he will ever read about Sir Richards magnificent wanderings in Africa at all.
   Besides all that, Sir Richards arrogance, nationalism, and outright racism is painfully evident throughout (e.g. I believe the European to be the brains, the Asiatic the heart, the American and African the arms, and the Australian to the feet of the man-figure. &in the various degrees of intellectuality, the Negro ranks between the Australian and the Indian&).
   Annoyingly enough though, while considering the French manifestly the inferiors of Englishmen, he nevertheless feels it necessary to pepper his narrative with numerous French quotes to demonstrate his sophistication (which the editors have very helpfully refrained from translating) he did after all consider himself a man of the world. The book is also filled with numerous and very long footnotes, sometimes right in the middle of a sentence or a thought, making the reading very choppy and difficult.
   From the perspective of the entertainment, as well as the intellectual value of this book, I give it one star out of five&a waste of intellect, time, paper, and ink&

3 comments about Mara-Serengeti: A Photographer's Paradise.

1. Mara-Serengeti captures the essence of living in the Mara-Serengeti region in a way that you would not experience in a dozen safaris to Africa. The images of predators, prey, wildlife migrations, and the Masai bring you close up during moments of blazing color in the sky and dramatic action in the grasslands. The images are improved by thoughtful essays that draw on the photographers' many years of experience with these subjects.

   The animal photographs are mostly grouped by subject and include lions, leopards, zebras, wart hogs, impalas, cheetahs, wildebeest, hyenas, crocodiles, vultures, and wild dogs. The subjects are usually of animal families, migration, killing, and eating in often symbolic settings for these activities. The Masai images come at the book's end, sort of completing the evolutionary progression of the food chain.

   You probably have heard of the Serengeti. It's a vast grassland in Tanzania, and is now protected as the Serengeti National Park there. The Masai Mara National Reserve is in neighboring Kenya, and the two lands are connected geographically, if not politically. A map in the book will display all of this for you. This site is the area where humans probably first walked the face of the Earth, and the dwindling of these remarkable spaces marks the potential for us to lose our ability to visualize our roots.

   The name, Serengeti, in Masai means "land of endless space." The closest we have to this habitat in the United States that I have seen is the brief enclosure in the wild animal park that the San Diego zoo maintains near Escondido, California.

   The action photographs impressed me the most. These show predators literally flying and spinning in the air just before they land while the terrorized prey wheels desperately away. The action is captured almost like a key play in a sporting event. That's pretty typical of the photography here. The images emphasize action and perspectives that you do not yet have, and this book will add wonderfully to your sense of the special nature of the grasslands of Africa.

   After you have finished expanding your vision of natural selection, I suggest that you think about the ways that our lives are enhanced by understanding our origins and how our lives are not. How can we draw inspiration from nature and stand in our most meaningful role?

   Look for what few have seen . . . always! Truth will emerge from your trial.




2. Having been to this area of Africa three times, twice in the Masi Mara and once to the Serengeti this book brings me back over and over again to this heaven on earth. The combination of drawings, photographs, and writing of Jonathan and Angela Scott are outstanding. This is my all time favorite book. The love these authors feel for this area and the animals and people who live there comes through on every page. For anyone who has the slightest interest in wild animals, ecology, photography, art, travel or Africa this book is a must have. Awesome!



3. This book was more than I had hoped for. The moments captured are extrordinary, some of the best photos of African Wildlife I have ever seen. I haven't read the text yet, but the captions by the photos are very informative and contain little interesting tidbits I didn't know. I have a lot of coffee table books and this is definitely a favorite.

1 comments about Guide to Madagascar (Country Guides).

1. Excellent - one of those guides that make you feel you've already been there. Given the size of Madagascar and the difficulty of its internal communications, the update is as good as one could reasonably demand. Ms Bradt knows her subject, from terrain to people to unique wildlife. No visitor should be without this invaluable publication

5 comments about Blood River.

1. This is a bad book. Journalist Tim Butcher decides to retrace Stanley's journey across the Congo. Butcher is no expert in the region and his ignorance of both history and the Congo is constantly on display. Contrary to the impressions given, its safer to travel in Congo now than has been since the 1950s. And the route taken by Butcher is one of the safest routes. He talks about the remoteness of the Congo but throughout the book NGOs and the UN are shown to be operating almost everywhere. This book is ok as an exaggerated third-rate adventure story but you will not learn anything useful about the Congo. As alternatives I would suggest Lieve Joris' "Back to the Congo" which was written about a trip during a very dangerous time and "No Mercy" by Remond O'Hanlon.



2. 'Blood River' is a nonfiction account of journalist Tim Butcher's attempt to recreate Victorian explorer Stanley's trip along the Congo river. Btucher describes his experiences as 'ordeal travel' as opposed to adventure travel due to the arduous nature of his trip.
   
   Butcher's style is crisp and economical, as you would expect from a seasoned journalist. The book combines travel writing and history as he tells the story of his own journey alongside the history of the Congo.
   
   It is certainly an eye-opening account - the conflict in the Congo kills more than a thousand people a day and has done so for years. It is home to the largest UN peace keeping mission in the world. The country used to possess an extensive transport network and infrastructure, but this has totally deteriorated after years of war. Yet it rarely gets mentioned in the news and the outside world seems largely indifferent to and ignorant of the Congo's plight.
   
   Whilst I admired Butcher for his courage in attempting such a dangerous trip, throughout the story I kept wondering why he did it. He never really seems to offer a satisfactory explanation for why he undertook a trip that was extremely dangerous to the point of being foolhardy. If it was to tell the story of the Congo to the world, it would be have been more understandable, but he never claims this was his motivation. Indeed, he could probably have told the Congo's story without undertaking such a journey. He clearly took no pleasure in the journey whatsoever, which he describes as unrelentingly grim, uncomfortable and frightening.
   
   It's also less of a travel book than a history book. I was expecting more colour and detail about the actual country, the places he passed through and the sights, sounds and smells. But he actually saw relatively little, spending most of his trip travelling through dense jungle or moping around in chronically underdeveloped towns. I did find it rather depressing and monotonous after a while, even though I'm sure it was an accurate description.
   
   'Blood River' does a good job of raising awareness of a forgotten conflict and presenting what seems to me a reasonably objective view of issues affecting developing countries in general; the rights and wrongs of colonialism and its after effects, the role of the UN and aid organisations, and the way that developed nations often hinder progress rather than help it. However, due to the arduousness of the journey and deprivation of the country it describes, I wouldn't exactly say it was an enjoyable read.
   
   However, Butcher decided on a different course. He would journey into the heart of the Congo to find the truth that could come only from first-hand experience. Ignoring warnings of anarchy and violence along his chosen route, Butcher plunged into the jungle and, via motorbike and canoe, made his way across this vast country from east to west.
   
   The resulting book is a revelation. All the talk we hear in the western media about 'African development' is revealed as a sham. The Congo is a country regressing to a condition more primitive than was the case before colonisation. At least then, tribal politices ensured that its people could live in a state of relative order, if not much prosperity. Now, many Congolese are in fear of the armed factions that prey on them, while their resources continue to be plundered by outsiders.
   
   Geo-political considerations aside, it is in its portrayal of the human dimension that Blood River really scores. The book is populated with a cast of characters that reflects the Congolese people's differing responses to the tragedy which has overwhelmed their country. Although this may be the result of authorial selectivity, one has the sense that the level of grubby venality Butcher sometimes encounters among the population is not representative. More often, he meets decent people of stamina and stoicism, struggling with a day-to-day existence so basic as to strain credulity.



3. Greetings
   
   This is a great read because of the back-drop. Tim Butcher has impeccable good taste and it is a very funny and moving account of his travels through the DRC Congo. The country acts as a prism for Tims character and judgement to really shine through -the worse the back-drop the more it resonates with his soul as he wrestles wih the moral/ethical, geo-political and logistical issues.
   
   Key question -what does a basicaly decent guy do in a country gone to hell. Answer: Outrun the cannibals (and threaten to pee in their soup if put on the menu to be boiled and eaten). The answers are not as easy and the travel is a lot harder. The sins of the Fathers are visited upon the childen unto the 3rd and 4th generation, or something to that effect.
   
   Here is what I enjoy about Tims great style in this book:
   
   Discretion and diplomacy -he is the opitome of good taste (figuratively speaking)
   Non judgemental
   Sensitive spirit
   Dream centered
   Real life execution
   Well researched
   Factually correct
   Accountable
   Tell it like it is
   Human
   Funny
   Sad and heart breaking
   Spading the truth, calls a spade a spade "in the nicest possible way".
   
   The moral of the story is that you do the best that you can with the options you have. In the DRC, that means that you dont outrun the cannibals, you just outrun the fat guy behind you, which, on a personal level, amounts to nearly the same thing.
   
   Some thoughts that come to mind:
   
   "Are there any nuns that have been raped recently that speak English?"
   
   "In Congo, Put your trust in God, but keep your gunpowder dry".
   
   A great read, highly recommended, at a medium heat, lightly salted.
   
   Justice Malanot
   South Africa



4. Initially, Tim Butcher's account of his "insanely dangerous" trip through the Congo raises the question why? Why put yourself through the very real risks of being captured or killed by the numerous rebel groups that infest the country? Why endure the mind-numbing boredom of hundreds and hundreds of kilometres on the back of motorcycles negotiating stiflingly hot jungle tracks? Why bother to retrace Stanley's already well documented expedition down the Congo river? Is this man mad?... certainly most of those he meets on this very strange journey think so.
   
   But, mad or not, what he discovers makes for fascinating reading as he and we are taken into the heart of what has become an unbelievably shocking world... one that has degenerated in 50 years from ruthlessly harsh colonial discipline & order to complete and apparently irreversible anarchy. The roads are gone, the railways are gone, the buildings have been consumed by the jungle; there is no law and little or no administrative structure; towns have no electricity, clean water or medicine; bribery, theft and casual violence are rampant; people live in constant fear of raids from rebel groups, and hundreds of thousands are killed each year simply because they are in the wrong tribe or the wrong place. Sure, there are other third world countries in such a terrible condition but few with the huge natural resources and riches of the Congo, few where this state of affairs has existed for so long, and few that receive so little attention from the rest of the world.
   
   Critics of the book suggest that the picture he paints is over-stated and that his grasp of the Congo's history is flawed - unless you or they are mad enough to emulate his trip who knows? But he's been around in enough of the world's trouble-spots to draw a measure over what he sees and, while his writing is less than tight in places and his understandable desire to "keep in the background" means that his discussions with the people he meets on the way are often cursory, the snapshots of life he returns with are vivid enough to make you question much more than his sanity in what is, in the end, a revealing and harrowingly thought-provoking account of one man's gruelling trek through a totally lost country.



5. Tim Butcher, a journalist for The Daily Telegraph decides to recreate H.M. Stanley's famous expedition in the 1870's. (Stanley had been also sponsored by the same newspaper!) He was also curious to see the country that his mother had visited in the 1950's as a tourist. He was told that by just about everyone he contacted that the journey was impossible, but against the odds he manages to enlist the help of aid workers (including a pygmy human rights activist and the Malaysian commander of a vessel working for the UN) and others. Each stage of the journey is uncertain, and he's constantly in danger of his life and in great discomfort. But he does manage in the end to find the transport he needs (motorcycles, dugouts, a UN barge) and the journey continues. It's impossible not to salute his courage.
   
   Blood River : A Journey into Africa's Broken Heart is a fascinating account, not just because it takes us into a part of the world we wouldn't normally venture into and lets us share the journey (from our comfy armchairs!), but also for the historical perspectives which are woven into the narrative.
   
   In the space of half a century, Congo has gone completely backwards - it is not "a developing country", or an "underdeveloped country", so much as an "un-developing country", going backwards so fast that almost nothing remains of the infrastructure left under Belgian rule due to the greed and incompetence of its leaders. It's a terrifying portrait of how quickly things can unravel. You also come to realise that putting things right isn't a matter of throwing financial aid at the problems, but in establishing the rule of law.
   
   It's impossible not to really pity the ordinary people of this failed country, but that there is such potential for economic growth (minerals, fertile land) turns this missed opportunity into a grand tragedy.
   
   The book was chosen as one of the reads for the Richard and Judy bookclub and of course made the shortlist for this year's Samuel Johnson Prize.

2 comments about Africa on Six Wheels: A Semester on Safari.

1. I found the book, Africa on Wheels: A semester on safari by Betty Levitov, quite informative on contemporary social issues in Africa. The author took 13 students, male and female, of Doane College, Nebraska, USA, to eastern and southern Africa in 2002. They spent three months touring and learning about interesting landscapes, plants, animals, and socialising with local people. The group travelled in a van with six wheels, which was driven by an Australian with a highly fragmented and apparently fabled biography. At the end of their African travel and adventure, commonly called safari, every student reported that the experience had profoundly deepened his or her understanding of African people and life in general. And, in the words of the author, 'in spite of many dangers of traveling in Africa, no student died or became pregnant.'
   
   The author provided interesting background information to the places they visited, and described local people and individuals objectively and with affection. Unlike certain foreign writers, whose books are a catalog of the ugly and the comical in Africa, Levitov presented her observations fairly and objectively. Of course, she discussed the problem of poverty that is prevalent in most developing countries.
   
   I have a few criticisms on the book. While the author frequently mentioned taking numerous photographs, there is no single photo in the book to help the reader connect text to image. The cover of the book contains an illustration of a vehicle and a scenery, which do not match any description in the book. Shouldn't a book of travel and adventure contain show the reader some images that the author saw? Also, I felt the author dwelt on trivial musings of the students for far too long, and memorable events were too far in-between. Nevertheless, the book is very informative, and I strongly recommend it to any reader seeking objective and honest information on contemporary social life in Africa.
   Leo Juma, Riverside, California



2. I love reading travel books and I am especially interested in Africa. I have unfortunately been disappointed in the past with travel books about Africa written in a depressing or patronizing manner. Although plagued with many problems, Africa is full of people with hopes, dreams and talents. This book brings out the positive and best aspects of Africa and the people that live there without being unrealistic about the challenges they face.
   
   Overall this book was a very pleasant suprise. It is written by a professor who takes her students on a semester to Africa. She writes in a very honest, humorous and non-preachy way about the students, her travels and everyone's reaction to the places they visit and the people they meet as well as her experiences teaching and living in a communal household. She is a good story teller and each chapter has one main point and it is made in a very interesting and poignant way.
   
   I really enjoyed this book and found myself learning much from her insights and also learning about Africa as well. Out of all the travel books I have read "Africa on Six Wheels" is definitely one of my favorites!

5 comments about No Picnic on Mount Kenya: A Daring Excape, A Perilous Climb.

1. I'm a big fan of WWII prisoner of war tales, both real (The Long Walk, Ghost Soldiers, et al) and fictional (King Rat, Bridge on the River Kwai, et al), so I was intrigued by this account by an Italian of how he and two companions escaped their POW camp, climbed Mt. Kenya, and then snuck back into camp several weeks later. Unfortunately, while their adventure was undoubtedly remarkable, it never really comes alive in Benuzzi's book. I suspect much of the problem for me is that I know nothing about mountaineering and don't particularly find it interesting. The other difficulty I had was with the flatness of the prose, whether this is due to a weak translation or to Benuzzi's writing in a foreign language I don't know, but in any event, I found it rather tepid. So while I think the whole idea of his adventure is wonderful and in rather brilliant dark humor, I didn't find the telling equally so.



2. This book is a welcome change from all the peak bagging, egoistical, mountain-conquering books out there. The author talks so poetically about the beauty of the mountain , that its hard to remain unaffected. Their mission is extremely pure and simple - to climb Mt. Kenya, although some people might say that it was an irresponsible thing to do in the middle of war .... The truth is that its a fantastic description of their whole adventure, with graphic descriptions of the jungle and how they made it with POW rations and home-made climbing gear. A true mountaineering classic !



3. I really enjoyed this book. It sounds almost whimsical that POWs would go to all this trouble and face considerable personal danger to escape, climb a mountain, and then go right back to the prison camp, but the way Benuzzi describes it, it makes a certain sense. The painstaking process of preparing for the trip - which included all the risks and difficulties of a "typical" prison break plus the demands of an Alpine climb - is told in a matter-of-fact, rather dry fashion. (On nominating the third man for the party: "He had never climbed a mountain in his life. The only reason why we decided to try him was because he was universally thought to be mad as a hatter, and mad people were what we needed.") Benuzzi's descriptions of the scenes on the way up the mountain are glorious, and of the return to camp are funny and quite touching. A very enjoyable pocket-adventure story that deserves to be better known.



4. I enjoy escape stories & the first half of this book was a typical WW2 escape story. The story has humour throughout & their task - to climb Mount Kenya - was quite an undertaking. What I liked best was the author's personality / humour & seeing things from an Italian and African perspective. His descriptions of the types of people in the prison camp are awesome. Day to day camp life is well described also.
   
   I think it took great guts to attempt what they did but to me the scariest parts were sleeping in the jungle with little or no shelter & no weapons. Who know's what type of beasts they may come across? I felt the second half of the book which describes more of the climb itself was more boring. When I got into this part I was mostly looking forward to finishing the book & getting onto something else. It is unique & I don't think in all the escape books I have read anyone has ever had their main intention be to escape back into their camp. That took a little bit of the interest away for me.
   
   It is a good story & I think the author would be a very interesting person to meet but the book was just middle of the road as far as true adventure stories I have read.



5. Felice Benuzzi wound up in a Second World War POW camp close to the foot of Mount Kenya, a mountain that is higher than the highest alp in Europe. Prison camps are boring; soon Benuzzi, who went on to become an ambassador in post-war Italy's diplomatic service, was dreaming of scaling the mountain he saw beyond the barbed wire of his confines.
   
   Eventually he did break out, and with the help of two fellow prisoners and rudimentary mountain climbing equipment they had made in the prison camp, he and a fellow prisoner ascended one of Mount Kenya's peaks, where they planted an Italian flag. A great story of adventure and humanity that loses a little of its lyricism in its translation into English. Great reading for all ages.

4 comments about The Cairo Diaries: 2004-2006.

1. In this lively account of two years spent in Egypt, Tom Markus and his wife Linda Sarver paint a rich and absorbing picture of their daily life in that ancient and still exotic land in a tragically troubled part of the world. Markus is a distinguished professor, theatre director and actor, Sarver an equally accomplished stage designer and it was his two-year appointment at the American University of Cairo that brought them into the Middle East. The juxtaposition of American intellectuals (yes, sophisticated, travelled, and so on but deeply and unself-consciously American) and the folk ways of Cairo provides illumination on both. The details with which the book brims add up to something more than a personal story: the struggles to get a broken window fixed or to discover the way to a dentist's office, to cite two examples, convey more succinctly and flavorfully the "otherness" of the culture (and the region, one is fearful to suppose) than any amount of statistics, dates of battles, elections, etc. And it is written in great good humor and love for the place, the people and the experience. Almost as good as a trip to Cairo itself.



2. I'm not a reader of travel books, but on recommendation I dipped into this delightful book and found it wonderful. It's much more than a look at Cairo but offers insights into the Egyptian culture and American expectations. Lots of the books is funny. The narrator is funny, incidents are funny. It's a great read! It's also very current, letting us know what is going on NOW and what the American University is like NOW. Not a bit pedantic, the book is accessible, enjoyable, and informative.



3. At a time when most reports from the Middle East are gloomy at best, it is refreshing to read The Cairo Diaries, 2004-2006, by Tom Marcus and Linda Sarver. This is a delightful account of their days in Egypt,
   Tom as a member of the theater arts faculty at the American University in Cairo, and Linda as a student of art and architecture. Entertaining and witty, it reflects brilliancy of mind and a spendid sense of humor. Most enriching are reports of the generosity of the Egyptian people, descriptions of weekend travels to areas rich in antiquities, and insights into the minds of the citizens of Cairo and the students at the university. This book makes one want to charter a passage to Egypt. I would recommend taking along a copy of Cairo Diaries to supplement the standard guides.



4. Although the official "Thumping Good Read" is no longer being given, this book would certainly be an excellent candidate for it. Written by two erudite writers, it is entertaining and informative on many levels.For those who have lived abroad, and experienced the petit miseries that arise, for those who have ever taught,for those who are culturally curious,for those who have been involved with theater,for those who love a good laugh, this book is for you! Enjoy

1 comments about Efe Pygmies : Archers of the African Rain Forest.

1. Efe pygmies: Archers of the African Rain Forest is a sumptuously illustrated tome that will long grace my coffee table. The main part of the book - a subtle photographic study depicting the Efe subsisting precariously but harmoniously in the depths of the Ituri forest - is preceded by a brief but fascinating scene-setting section of white-on-black text.

   The author presents vivid visual and verbal images of his subjects making baskets, carrying hunting nets, filing their teeth, smoking tobacco, playing music, dispatching a net-caught antelope, touchingly expressing grief at the death of a newborn, and fleeing from their leaf huts into the night beneath a cracking and crashing, lightning-weakened tree.

   Skillful, intimate photography makes us yearn for the easy laughter and simplicity of these gentle, peaceful people, yet we are simultaneously made aware of the dangers and discomforts they must constantly face.

   It is a fitting tribute to a people as "primitive" and untouched by global culture as any on earth, and the precariousness of their independence. Moreover, it is a compelling and persuasive insight into our own hunting and gathering origins, and the thoughts, feelings, and reactions we all share as part of the human family.

   While William Wheeler's book may not lead us to put on treebark loin cloths and chase wildlife through the forest, it is an evocative portrayal of another culture, one that can teach us something about how to live surrounded by danger and dark forces and yet keep on reverentially singing, laughing, and living for the moment.

   Although the Efe are clearly too humble and happy a people to bother sending missionaries to us for our edification, this beautiful and moving book affords a glimpse of what such a mission might convey.

1 comments about A Passage to Africa.

1. Now, I had my reservations when my mother bought me this book, I don't tend to read biographies, least of all of C list celebrities. However I was surprised by this book - it is excellent. George Alagiah has an engaging writing style full of wit with a deeply humanistic sentiment, his experiences in Africa from the time he emigrated from Sri Lanka (as a Tamil) to Ghana up until his time as a BBC reporter are used as background to the history of a number of countries and their adjustment to a post-colonial world. He offers explanations of their frequent failures, examples of their successes and his optimistic hopes for the future.

5 comments about Running with the Moon: A Boy's Own Adventure: Riding a Motorbike Through Africa.

1. "Running with the Moon," an autobiography by JonnyBealby recounts the adventures of a man on a motorbike travellingthrough Africa in hopes of finding insights and answers to his lifeafter the sudden death of his fiance. What makes this book so notable is the fact that a journey of the sort undertaken by the author would be impossible in todays age due to the political state of the majority of African countries in the present. After the death of his fiance while travelling in Kashmir Jonny Bealby returns to an England which is not the same. Day to day life having changed into a struggle of lost hopes and loves. Challenged by this austere new world and compounded by his confusion he decides to undertake a journey across Africa apon a motorcycle. Accompanied by his best friend Neil, the two prepare for their journey and set off, a Yamaha Tenere under each...A fascinating insight into the beauty and sadness of a man who uncovers Africa for the reader and once again reclaims the peices of himself lost to him by past tragedies. Defianitely a must for the reader with a soft side for travel and adventure.



2. I have two main hobbies, off road motorcycling and reading, so when i bought RUNNING WITH THE MOON, i knew i was onto a winner and would enjoy it even before i had turned a page. From the tragic prologue to the epilogue after his incredible journey is over this book is a real rollercoaster of emotions (sorry about the cliche , but its true). You almost feel like you were there, and i wished i could have been to assist him when the bike got bogged down in thigh high water filled jungle tracks ,i know from experience what its like to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with a broken down bike. But then again there is a BIG difference between the middle of nowhere in the Yorkshire Dales, and the middle of nowhere in the Congo!(no gorillas in Yorkshire!). I also wanted to buy him a drink to cheer him up when he was stood up in Cairo, although that did eventually have a happy outcome. Initially i bought this book because of my interest in motorcycles, but non bikers dont be put off, i can heartily recommend it to anyone with a sense of adventure. Excellent!



3. I've read a lot of motorcycle travel stories, and done sone travelling myself in africa on a motorcycle. But this story is a great novel and a great journey. Better than e.g. Jupiters Travels.



4. There are many books in the motorcycle adventure travel genre, but few have been written by someone who is a good writer. Jonny Bealby does a great job of relating his journey across Africa from the northern deserts to the tropical jungles on a Yamaha Tenere with an appropriate mix of story telling, philosophy, and motorcycling. This book is the same league as "Obsessions Die Hard" by Ed Culberson in terms of adventure, entertainment and readability. Highly recommended for the armchair adventurer!



5. What a shockingly delightful and profoundly moving book! Not only is Bealby a highly accomplished adventure motorcyclist, he proves to be a most estimable writer -- call him Mathiessen on a motorcycle. I've read plenty of ham-handed motorcycle adventure accounts; this one is of the highest caliber, on par with Robert Fulton Jr.'s "One Man Caravan."

   Bealby chronicles his heroic odyssey on a Yamaha Tenere through unforgiving regions of Africa with humility and gratitude. You'll find no chest-beating or tedious complaints here. The work is gorgeously written, richly textured, and acutely observant of both man and nature. Seductive, sensory, lyrical, and rhapsodic, this book immerses you in exotic -- even surreal -- territory with superb grace. Motorcyclist or not, you will revel in this awesome adventure.

   Proving his literary virtuosity, Bealby expertly weaves the tragic tale of the death of his beloved Mel throughout his ultimately cathartic and redemptive account. A truly magical work. Buy it. Three cheers to Jonny Bealby!