No comments about Africa Central and South (Michelin National Maps).

2 comments about In Morocco.

1. Fans of Edith Wharton who are hoping to see her usual insightful wit will be disappointed with this book. Likewise will those hoping to learn something about the real Morocco. Instead, what this book provides is a fascinatingly nauseating example of racist, orientalist cliches: the eroticization, the emphasis on mystery, decreptitude, etc. One classic bit is the description of the souks full of "savages" "consumptive Jews" and "lusty slave girls." But my favorite is when a windstorm in the Djmaa el Fnaa suddenly appears, "stripping to the waist the slave girls scudding home to the souks." There are some peculiar twists to her vision of Morocco, but I won't go further because I'm hoping to publish my paper on this subject sometime in the near future. Buy this book if you are interested in such things. But first read Said's Orientalism, if this stuff is new to you. If you are planning to travel to Morocco, buy the Rough Guide and Culture Shock: Morocco.



2. It's been along while since I read this book but after the negative review, I must read again.
   I remember her descriptions of Morocco and the people being quite fascinating but I don't remember them being racist......maybe, this world of Moroc was so far from the culture she was accustomed. Maybe this book encouraged people to visit and find out for themselves. I loved Morocco and it's people, but I also enjoyed the book back then.
   Moroc was the most exciting place I had been as of 2000.
   Maybe, we've come a long way, Baby! Let's only hope!

1 comments about Small Boat to Freedom: A Journey of Conscience to a New Life in America.

1. In 1987 the South African government was failing and the nation on the brink of a civil war. British born John Vigor emigrated to South Africa at the age of thirteen. By age fifty he had become a syndicated columnist for an anti-apartheid newspaper. Yet he realized when the revolution came people wouldn't care who he was or what he stood for. He and his family were in harm's way. When racist graffiti appeared on their garden wall and discussion turned to the possibility of buying a shotgun, John knew it was time to leave. Abandoning a comfortable life and a country they loved, John and his American wife, June, were forced to give up most of their life savings to the South African government. Risking everything, the Vigors purchased a 31-foot sloop and provisions for a trans-Atlantic voyage to America, where they hoped start over. Hidden on board was a small fortune in gold coins.

   Small Boat to Freedom narrates the dramatic story of this voyage across some of the most dangerous seas in the world-past the Cape of Storms, around the Cape of Good Hope, north along the Skeleton Coast, and into the vast South Atlantic. John with his wife and their youngest son braved these dangers along with hurricane winds, rogue waves, failed equipment, and other perils as they made their way towards America. It is chock full of sailing details and the history of famous captains, hidden islands, record breaking voyages, and the legacy of ocean travel. It is a poetic look at nature, being out of reach of land powered only by the wind and sea-and being at its mercy:

   "We had been lucky so far. The storm waves had grown with the howling wind as the hours passed, but, as fate would have it, the real monster waves, the widely spaced graybeards with their fiercely plunging crests, had laid down their acres of seething white foam on either side of us.... Now for the first time, we were in the direct line of one, and there was nothing I could do about it. ... What I remember now is not so much the fear-though, heaven knows, I was paralyzed with fear-as the helplessness of it, the feeling of inevitability, of not being able to do anything about it. That was somehow more frightening than the raw fear... just before the wave struck, I closed my eyes, crouched down in the cockpit, and wondered if fish would gobble up the precious gold coins we were trying to smuggle out of South Africa, as they swallow the shiny lures of fishermen..."

   Most importantly, however, is the message the author writes for Americans in a time of war and government reaction. John watched in dismay following the attacks of September 11, 2001 as the American government cracked down on civil liberties. Raised in a society divided by apartheid, and witness to the destructive affects of tyranny, John wrote his story of sacrifice and survival as a reminder to us what lengths others will go to live in a free society. He cautioned Americans of relinquishing their hard won civil rights to a federal government, and to the dangers of ignoring the voices of other peoples and cultures, even if they are among our enemies. It is a poignant story of surprising depth, and relative to the American situation in 2004 as we face war against terrorism at home and abroad.

1 comments about Lonely Planet Watching Wildlife: Southern Africa (Lonely Planet Watching Wildlife Southern Africa).

1. If you want to go to Africa, but aren't sure where or when to go, this is a very useful book. Even if you are using a travel agent and expert tour company, this book will help you evaluate alternatives and enable you to make intelligent suggestions.
   
   The book is also useful when you're back home and trying to figure out what kind of animal is in your photo.

4 comments about Lonely Planet Malawi, Mozambique & Zambia (Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia).

1. This book, to use a cliche, was my Bible while I was in Malawi. The information is good and generally accurate. Except for Lilongwe, I found the summaries on the cities to be a little too short. Also, since the kwatcha (Malawian currency) has recently been floated, the prices are all quite a bit off.



2. LP is second to none in practical travel advice. This guide makes no exception. We were the first to actually use the guide book even a little before the publication date. We used it in all three countries. The only thing I might critisize is that Malawians are really not *that* friendly (Zambians are), but opinions differ about this. Prices in $ would be better.



3. I bought this book before I went for a four month stay in Zambia. I soon realized that 'Zambia' on the cover was in small type for a reason. The bulk of the book is on Malawi, and the author gives very little detail to the Zambia section. I was quite disappointed, as I was glad simply to FIND something with 'Zambia' written on it! There was useful information in the Zambia section, but the Kwacha amounts were far off the mark, due to high inflation rates. I found myself constantly having to flip back to the Malawi section of the book to see if relevant information could be found there.

   This is a good book - I've found most Lonely Planet books to be excellent, though - but if you're looking for a great deal of information on Zambia itself, this is not the book for you.




4. "Lonely Planet: Southern Africa" is more complete (it covers the entire area from Zambia and Malawi to South Africa) and more recent (September 2000).

No comments about Laminated Cape Town Map by Borch.

1 comments about On the Shores of the Mediterranean.

1. Eric Newby is a serious travel essayist for serious travelers. A consummate pro. ON THE SHORES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN, originally published in 1984, is his chronicle of a resolute journey around the circumference of the Mediterranean, an arduous tour of ancient cities, ruins and near ruins that would have surely daunted a lesser man. Beginning at his home in Tuscany, he shepherds the reader along to Naples, Venice, Montenegro, Albania, Mt. Olympus (in Greece), Istanbul, Turkey's Mediterranean shore (the Troad), Jerusalem, the Pyramids, Tobruk (in Libya), Tunisia, Fez (in Morocco), Gibraltar, Seville (in Spain), and Nice (on the Côte d' Azur). After 484 pages (in paperback) of relatively small print, I collapsed exhausted.

   Newby has an exceptional eye for detail and history, which can provide either joy or torment to the armchair traveler. SHORES accomplishes both. He's at his very best when describing the Harem at Topkapi (in Istanbul), the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (in Jerusalem), the nightmare (and somewhat comic) bus ride from Tripoli to Tunis, and the Moroccan city of Fez. His very worst had to be the chapter dedicated to Holy Week in Seville, a migraine-inducing and seemingly endless enumeration of processions, floats, statues and religious brotherhoods involved in the Roman Catholic celebration of this yearly festivity. Enough already, for cryin' out loud! (And I was born and raised Catholic, even!) The fact that Eric has an unfortunate penchant for constructing looooooong sentences, sometimes in excess of 100 words, doesn't help.

   The biggest disappointments of this otherwise laudable book were two. First, because of conflict in the city, he didn't visit Beirut, Lebanon. Second, too infrequent mention was made of his long-suffering travel companion and wife, Wanda, who would occasionally contribute a pointed remark about the latest fine mess that husband Eric had gotten them into. I liked Wanda a lot.

No comments about The Congo and the Cameroons (Penguin Great Journeys).

2 comments about Benin: The Bradt Travel Guide.

1. Thank you Stuart Butler for your candor, insights, and helpful information for traveling in Benin. It is a beautiful country with warm, wonderful people. Your book helped prepare me for what to expect, what to avoid, and how to enjoy Benin to its fullest. I also appreciate the folk lore stories and actual historic events you described. I would highly recommend this travel guide as it contains dependable and realistic information. I will definitely look forward to you sharing more of your travel adventures in future travel guides.



2. Travelled for work to Benin and this book was great for my hobnobbing over the weekends. It is also very well written, my parents, who were not travelling with me, read it too, just because it was so much fun to read. There are also details as to who you can contact in a certain town for good guids, which I'm sure is useful. I did not make use of this and regret it. Only negative, though you cannot really expect this from a travel book, is that the historical chapter is somewhat incorrect and over-simplifying, but for that you would better get a history book. All in all, a great purchase for anyone going to Benin.

5 comments about Guide to Ghana (Bradt Country Guides).

1. Most Travel Guides just focus on the southern areas of Ghana, near Accra, Takoradi, Cape Coast and along the coastline. This book covers the entire country and every possible way of getting around.

   For example, the Lonely planet's West Africa Guide did not provide information on how to get from Bolga to Wa. This book gave us the bus company, time and price of the trip. When arriving in Bolga we asked how to get to Wa and most of the people there were not really positive, but sure enough the book was completely accurate.

   Another example was when we were in the Volta Region climbing Mount Afedzeto. There were no places to stay, but the guide says that if one asks for the Peace Corps on duty, that member will gladly give you a room. Sure enough we had a very comfortable place to stay for the night.

   This book is well written and the best on the market. There is an incredibly helpful guide to the animals one will see in Mole national Park and a great general guide about how to get around and what to are "cultural taboos."

   The author's writing style makes the book easy to read and allows you to know him well after only reading one section.

   It is the only guide book that is fitting for such a diverse and delightful country.




2. An excelent Guide to Ghana that covers all aspects of the country. Contains a lot of good advice. I would recomend it to every one.



3. This is definatly the most detailed guide to Ghana currently available, however it is not aimed at students or others traveling on a low budget. It is also a little out of date eg. it recommends the Castle Restaurant in Cape Coast which burn down three years ago! things change fast in Ghana so no guide will be absolutly up to date, this is a usefull basis for exploring the smaller towns which other guides miss out.



4. I was presented with this guide as a christmas gift a month prior to leaving for a six week journey through Ghana in 1999. I was thrilled to discover a more comprehensive guide book than those produced by Lonely Planet. Given time to compare notes before travelling it was only to my benefit to carry this guide. As with all guide books information tends to date quickly, therefore it becomes important to future editions for a traveller to make their own contribution to assist others on their journey. As a single female traveller in Ghana this guide book was an easy to use and essential tool, not only did it assist me but others I met along the way. I'd recommend this Guide to Ghana and any future editions to anyone.



5. Briggs knows Ghana like the back of his hand. And this book, compact and inexpensive, served as a Bible to me on my recent visit to Ghana. Truly, without his intimate knowledge of this West African country's landscape and peoples, I would have had a hard time knowing whether I was coming or going. Highly recommended.