No comments about Zambia Travel Pack (Globetrotter Travel Pack. Zambia).

5 comments about The Eighth Continent: Life, Death and Discovery in the Lost World of Madagascar.

1. I'm a huge Madagascar fan and finiding books on one of my favorite places is a rare treat for me - this book is no exception. It's written wonderfully and has useful factual information. Before travelling here, I would suggest that you find all the information you can and this book is one of about 3 that I could say are appropriate for this.



2. Madagascar in my mind has always been one those wild exotic places. This book does a very good job of introducing the place and providing insights into wildlife, culture, orgins, and a possible plan for the future of conservation in Madagascar. It reads well and doesn't bog down very often. The chapters about the herps of Madagascar were my favorite, but I am biased towards herps. The conservation issues are presented in a balanced way, and the opposing opinions about the success or failure of the Community development/national park conservation plans are pretty well explained. I recommend this book to anybody wanting to learn more about Madagascar, it is a great introduction would be a worthwhile read if you wanted to travel to Madagascar and be more than just a bumbling tourist.



3. This book makes you feel like your on the trip through Madagascar with the author. Very detailed and explanatory.
   Very fun to read!



4. I have come away from this book with a strong desire to visit Madagascar and a good understanding of the country's wonders and challenges. In a very entertaining style recounting his travels and sharing tales of the island's lore, Peter Tyson gives us an overview of both the Malagasy people and fauna ( and somtimes flora ) and how they relate in light of its conservation issues. He also outlines the limited knowledge that exists as to how this unique island has come to be so different from anywhere else on Earth, opening the scope for unlimited wonder and whetting a thirst to find out more. A great starting point for an interest in Madagascar and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
   I would recommend reading Mike Eveleigh's, Maverick in Madagascar, after this.



5. I hate to disagree with the majority of the reviews, but I only found this book "okay." It's worth reading but it's not to rave about. The best parts deal with the Malagsy people, culture and history. The descriptions of the animals, plants, and ecosystems are weak. There are few photos and those are not highly informative or high quality. I recommend sections of David Quamman's book, Song of the Dodo, which has a much stronger biological bent to it.

5 comments about Egypt (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. I've been highly satisfied with the Eyewitness Travel Guide series, and this Egypt edition does not disappoint. Maps are clear and helpful, photos help to explain all of the rich history and culture of Egypt. We brought the Lonely Planet Egypt book with us as well, but we found the Eyewitness Travel Guide to be clearer and simpler to use.
   
   The only issue that we found with the book was viewing a performance of the whirling dervishes in Cairo. The book directs us to a place near the bazaar, but the mosque where they normally perform is under renovation. As a result, the performances were being held at the Citadel during the time of our visit. This isn't the book's fault, as this was new and even the conceirge directed us to the wrong place.
   
   That being said, the book guided us to the right places many other times. We especially appreciated the tip on the Egyptian Pancake place in the bazaar!



2. Comprehensive, pictorial. The guide we always look for when planning a trip.



3. Very nice -- as I have found most Eyewitness Guides. Well organized, current, accurate as far as I could tell. I agreed with reviews of small number/small sample of restuarants and hotels. Guide enhanced an excellent trip!



4. Lots of great information and beautiful pictures, but too heavy to take with me to Egypt.



5. I bought this book for my tour of Egypt in October 2007. I bought it along on the trip with me. It provides a great overview of Egypt and even maps of what the major attractions look like. Fabulous photos too.

No comments about Culture Shock! Mauritius: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! Guides).

No comments about Insight Guide Tunisia (Insight Guides Tunisia).

No comments about Michelin NEOS Guide Morocco, 1e.

5 comments about The Africa Diaries: An Illustrated Memoir of Life in the Bush.

1. The natural history filmmaker authors have lived in the African bush for over twenty years: their lifestyle and work with wildlife is profiled in a diary of their world documenting their work. Any with an interest in African life will find The Africa Diaries an absorbing read packed with details and a 'you are there' atmosphere. Color photos complete the effect.



2. I LOVED this book. Anyone that likes animals, Africa or adventures will like this book. This book does a great job of expressing what it would be like to live in the wilds of Africa. It also has great photos!



3. Derek and Beverly Joubert are probably best known for their National Geographic videotapes on African wildlife, such as "Africa's Stolen River," on the drying of the Savuti river over the course of several years and the resultant effects on the local animal populations, and "Eternal Enemies," on the enmity between lions and hyenas. The text of this book is comprised of excerpts from the Jouberts' personal journals during the period when those videos were made, interspersed with explanatory material. There are also plenty of excellent photographs - both of wildlife and of the Jouberts themselves and their equipment.

   For those familiar with their videos, this book provides a more personal look at the Jouberts and what their life was like in the Savuti, as well as providing some tidbits about what happened to some of the subjects of the videos after they were made. For those not familiar with the videos, it may still be an interesting look at what life can be like for dedicated naturalists in the parts of Africa that are not yet completely tamed.

   Note that unlike their videos, which focus exclusively on wildlife, this book includes quite a bit of discussion of people - not only the Jouberts and their filmmaking, but also of hunters and of the human political issues that determine the fate of the animals. If you would prefer a book focused more exclusively on wildlife, you might try the Jouberts' earlier book, "Hunting With the Moon."




4. Inspring, informative and sensitive. If you love and care about the fate of wildlife in Africa, this book is for you.



5. We just stayed in a African camp (Selinda) managed and owned by the Joubert's. I wish I had read their account of the region before I went to Africa. It was a great synopsis of the highlights of their life in the bush. The pictures they captured illustrate the stories they portray. I recommend it highly.

1 comments about Roosevelt the Explorer: T.R.'s Amazing Adventures as a Naturalist, Conservationist, and Explorer.

1. H. Paul Jeffers' Roosevelt The Explorer: Teddy Roosevelt's Amazing Adventures As A Naturalist, Conservationist, And Explorer is an outstanding biography of American President Teddy Roosevelt and one which focuses specifically upon his work in the areas of conservation and exploring. Dwelling on Roosevelt's enthusiastic appreciation of nature, and his struggles as President against tough opposition in order to create a system of national parks and to protect America's forests and wetlands from the depredation of development, Roosevelt The Explorer is a thoughtful, environment-oriented, biographical study of a truly great American leader, family man, outdoor enthusiast, and human being.

4 comments about Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa.

1. Mungo Park (1771-1806?) was the first European to visit the Niger River basin in 1796. He resolved, once and for all, a debate that had European cartographers and geographers confused for centuries.

   His initial journey (1795-1797) was a tale of tremendous personal hardship and suffering, but triumph in the end. After returning to Scotland in 1798, he became acquainted with Sir Walter Scott. They became close friends, and it was Sir Walter Scott who convinced him to return to Africa to encover the secret of the mouth of the Niger River.

   In 1805 he convinced the British government, in the middlle of a war against Napoleon, to send another expedition to seek out the mouth of the Niger. With 100 officers and men he set out, retracing his earlier steps. The journey was filled with personal tragedy and heroism. After arriving on the Niger, he built a boat, named the Joliba, and travelled down the river. During the course of his journey he met and traded with the many kingdoms that lined the river. However, he also incurred the wrath of many local kings and chiefs who believed that he was cheating them.

   Near the town of Bussa (now covered by a huge dam), Mungo Park met his unexpected end. For many years it has been assumed that he was attacked by hostile natives seeking to rob him. In fact it may have been due to the fact that he just failed to navigate the river




2. This book is not too bad, but it would have been better if its author and editor were frank with their "facts".
   Mungo Park, an inquisitive Scottish doctor and explorer, displayed a lot of courage in his adventures. He was steadfast and result-oriented. However, it is wrong for anybody to assume that he discovered the 'Nile of the Negroes', (as the River Niger was then called). The indigenous Africans who lived by the river banks knew its course long before Mungo Park's forefathers were born. They showed the Scot the way!
   Thus, claiming that Dr. Park discovered River Niger is absurd. It is as ridiculous as claiming that the first African who sailed across River Thames discovered the English river.



3. Kate Ferguson Marsters' edition of Mungo Park's TRAVELS is an excellent example of the travel narrative - easily comparable with the Journals of Lewis & Clark or Francis Parkman's OREGON TRAIL. The book is broken into three parts: Park's travel narrative , Marsters' Introduction & Major Rennell's Geographical Illustrations Of Mr. Park's Journey (which is rather dry and dated).

   The main work is a narrative of Park's travels from Barra, on the West African coast, to the town of Silla, just west of Jenne and his return to the western coast. Park provides many interesting details and asides, including that of Mumbo Jumbo (also mentioned by Francis Moore) for disciplining wayward wives. Park also spends a fair amount of time explaining local governments and social norms. Throughout, the account attempts some degree of neutrality while noting acts of kindness and avarice by various individuals and rulers; although, not surprisingly, he explicitly criticizes the Moors who continually interfered with his progress and those who robbed and stripped him. Perhaps his most disturbing account is of the female slave who becomes too sick to continue traveling with the coffle. The entire work puts black slaves and their families in a very sympathetic light and shows the slave trade at its worst; although, due to the continuing conditions of slavery and internal conquest pre-dating major European involvement in the trade, Park stated that the termination of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade would not provide as great a benefit to the populace in Africa as many hoped.

   The Introduction is important in providing the history of Park's early years, the important role of the African Association and its leader, Sir Joseph Banks. More importantly the Introduction deals with the Bryan Edwards controversy. Richard Burton and Orlando Patterson's criticisms have held that internal African slavery and slave trading was not nearly so prevalent as suggested by Park. In light of this, Marsters' statement that Joseph Banks, a critic of slavery, had to approve every piece of Edward's editing becomes extremely important. In addition, it is made clear that the reason for the stylistic differences is that the original TRAVELS was a book derived from Park's notes whereas the published work of his second, ill-fated journey was merely a compilation of those notes retrieved from the dead man's party!

   All-in-all, an excellent and informative read!




4. I have just finished reading the Kindle version of this book, and found it fascinating reading. Mr. Park is an amazing explorer. The story of his initial adventures is amazing and humbling. He really was a persistent guy!
   
   Worth reading for the insights to slavery as it existed in those days, as well as traveling both as a priveleged white man and later as a fugitive.
   
   The Kindle version works well and was cheap. I doubt I could have found this book readable or affordable in its initial form.

No comments about Kenya (Map).