1 comments about In Quest of Lost Worlds.

1. In Quest Of Lost Worlds: Journey To Algeria, Ethiopia, Yucatan And Beyond is the rousing memoir and self-described journey of Count Byron de Prorok, an Anglo-Hungarian archaeologist and explorer who researched occult subjects and visited a wide variety of fascinating sites with metaphysical implications during the 1920s and 1930s. From his uncovering of the tomb of the Queen of the Tuaregs Tin Hinan, to his dedicated search for King Solomon's mines, In Quest Of Lost Worlds showcases amazing adventures, reveals ancient legends, and relate what were occasionally quite perilous discoveries. Enhanced with twenty-four pages of special illustrations, In Quest Of Lost Worlds is very highly recommended reading for students of archaeology, metaphysics, and anyone who enjoys great true life adventures!

No comments about Guide to Tanzania (Bradt Guides).

1 comments about Sahara.

1. For all those who have glimpsed the great wilderness of the Sahara Desert-and for those who have imagined it-this book will open new dimensions. There is no doubt about it; this is the BEST pictorial on the Sahara desert in print. It describes the world's most fascinating and oldest desert in depth, highlighting its many diverse aspects through a collection of stunning photographs. The portrait pictures of the Tuareg tribes are my favorite. They are so powerful it is hard to take your eyes off the faces portrayed in the book. The features of the women are simply astounding. The book has a great layout and is split into information sections in a concise way covering history, traditions, life style and so on. It stands out as a great picture book but comes really on top for the way it integrates a lot of written information without losing the glossy "coffee-table" feel. Buy it, you'll love it. It would definitely make you want to visit all these places and travel where the authors have ventured. The print quality is superb and it has a lot of full page pictures which the lack of is something I find frustrating in pictorial books on similar subjects. You really get to appreciate the desert vastness and details. There are 500 color illustrations in 300 pages. You get so much for a great price, once again get that one if you can.

No comments about Westward Bound: Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb.

No comments about Waterproof Sahara Map (Travel Reference Map) (Travel Reference Map).

1 comments about Africa: An Artist's Safari.

1. 
   
   Krakowiak brings his remarkable subjects to life in image and text, striking artwork that depicts the color, texture, energy and stunning beauty of the wilds of Africa. A compilation of sketches, paintings and stories, the artist has created a valuable memoir, his prose accented with the powerful beasts who so define the Dark Continent, the lion, the cheetah, and the elephant who inhabit this vast land. Truly the last frontier, this wilderness stretches from the "Cape of Good Hope in the south to the Mediterranean in the north", the "world's largest desert... and its' most extensive rain forest".
   
   Visiting game reserves that protect nearby marvelous, larger-than-life animals who roam their home with authority: "The endless cycle of life and death is everywhere repeated." Man is a puny force against predators who have roamed the earth with impunity, finally threatened by extinction and the random slaughter by poachers, who perpetrate the greatest travesty against nature, perhaps irrevocable and tragic for the future of the continent. In the utmost simplicity, artist vs. nature, Krakowiak explores this unique experience, a man who sees beauty all around him, the power, grace and temperament of Africa and its denizens, his creative energy infused with the colors, sights and sounds of a country at its grandest.
   
   Finally, the author/artist offers suggestions for those who seek to follow his example, focusing on each particular artist's objective, assembling essential artist supplies, binoculars, the appropriate camera and a journal to record thoughts, ideas and inspirations. Judging from the quality of this coffee table book, both in image and text, Krakowiak has mastered his own point of perspective, the pictures a powerful testament to the subjects of outstanding work. Luan Gaines/ 2007.

5 comments about Travels With a Tangerine: A Journey in the Footnotes of Ibn Battutah.

1. If you are interested in the genre of travel writing where it merges with history then this book is worth the effort that it takes to read it. It takes a chapter, or two, to get used to the style of writing. Unlike so many other books of this type the editor has permitted the author to keep the quirks of style that allow the reader to acknowledge the presence of the individual rather than the blandness found in so many other books. As a result you gain an insight into the worlds of the author and IB. The fact that Mackintosh-Smith speaks fluent Arabic gives a depth to the book that is rare in similar works.
   I read this book slowly and with great interest. Having some knowledge of the history of the region does help but is not a prerequisite. The reader is taken on a slow journey into a region of the world that is all to often portrayed as bordering on permanent chaos. It is not a book for someone who wants to skim or is disinterested in the minutiae of traveling in the footsteps of a long gone traveler. The end result is a satisfying and enjoyable read.



2. Mr. Mackintosh-Smith can write!!
   He is a stylist of the highest order. He combines this with a Quixote-like obsession with Ibn-Batuta and an erudite facility with Arabic. All this makes for a book that offers a personal, insightful and often very funny guide to regions of the world that could do with being better understood. He is neither an old-fashioned Orientalist nor an anti-Orientalist. At best one could perhaps describe him as a post-Saidian with a fondness for bowel movements.



3. I wanted to enjoy this book. The premise is interesting. The author is fascinated by Ibn Battutah and his travels. He sets off to follow in IB's footsteps. The author draws references from many bizarre sources presumably to help clarify or explain some of his experiences, but what it ends up being is gratuitous obscurity. I carefully sought out his references, but I did not feel rewarded. I noted with interest how often the author clarified that he was not married and did not wish to be and that he is not a Muslim and did not wish to be. These two issues arose many times. I was interested in the Eye of Joy and a couple of his jokes, but overall I felt the author was trying to impress the reader with his wide knowledge of obscurity rather than share an experience with his reader.



4. I've spent some time in Tangier, where Ibn Battutah is still a well-known name after a lot of centuries, and was happy to see that someone had produced a new look in English on the subject. Regrettably, the focus of this effort is more on the author, Timothy Macintosh-Smith himself than on the intrepid traveler Ibn Battutah. I've no doubt that Mackintosh-Smith is a well-educated and experienced Arabist, but his writing style in this short book is not only stilted and pretentious, it's frequently closeminded and (to my mind) unfair to the alleged subject. There are occasional insights worth having here, but overall, this is not a book that I would recommend.



5. This little book is so easily read that I find myself picking it up and just opening any page - where I am transported to a different universe. The illustrations are delightful. The esoteric subjects of Arabic literature and history are opened up with fluid grace. Who would have thought that a travelogue through Yemen and other mysterious and closed cultures could be so interesting? I have given this book as a gift to friends I thought were astute enough to value it. Anyone who is curious about territories usually unexplored by travel writers will love this book.

No comments about Travellers Mauritius (Travellers - Thomas Cook).

5 comments about After Big Game in Central Africa (Peter Capstick's Library).

1. The book can give a good idea of the life experiences of a big game hunter in Africa but is slow going in places. The book does have a wide variety of excellent photos that depict Edward Foa's various trophies etc. A good airplane book...you might only finish it if you have nothing else to distract you. Not the best of the Capstick series.



2. I especially liked Foa's matter-of-fact descriptions of his hunting methods, guns, camp equipment, etc from the 1890's. His approach seems refreshingly straightforward compared to many of the macho English big game hunters of the 20th century (Foa was French). Foa certainly had some mighty adventures at a time when Central African hunting was not a tourist's game, and just as black powder was giving way to smokeless. I couldn't put the book down. I would like to find other of Foa's books translated to English.



3. Foa's excellent book (originally published in French) is rich with unpretentious descriptions of Late 19th Century Africa. A rare find in English as most writers of that and later era's were British. His practical descriptions are filled with natural history of a most useful and interesting sort. Hunting tales that any real sportsman will find amazing. Rich and yet humble descriptions by a man who is reknowned for his hunting and natural history contributions. The organization and style are worthy of any writer or readers notice. The text is captivating and appendices fascinating for there bare bones facts.



4. Just a few words to fellow book critic; "Robert Smith from usa." English is the native language of Britain. Maybe a little intelligence next time before you write an inept and foolish critique.



5. An account of his hunting exploits while leading an expedition sponsored by the French Ministry of Public Instruction, Edouard Foa's "After Big Game in Central Africa" is gem of a book. Foa resists the temptation to give a tedious day-by-day recounting of his travels or to pen a dry chronological sequence of events, noting himself that the moments of interest were interspersed among days and sometimes weeks of boredom and monotony. Rather, Mssr. Foa draws upon his keen skills as an observer and his evident scientific curiosity to create a literary survey of the land -- and time, no less -- in which he traveled. The result is a work that can, admittedly, be confusing for a reader who doesn't have a memory for dates and places as Foa occasionally jumps around in time and space, but which nonetheless excels as a descriptive portrait of Central Africa at the twilight of the 19th century.

   Obviously well educated, Foa was not just another hunter but a true explorer who was literally studying his surroundings on his journey as part of his governmental charge. The resulting notes that he kept enabled him to accurately recreate his experiences and observations and sometimes the deep feelings they inspired.

   From the opening chapters dealing with guns, equipment, and personnel to the actual recounting of the hunts, Foa establishes an objective to convey to his readers what his methods were and how effective they proved in practice. But more importantly, he imparts his passion for a life in the wilds and for hunting in particular, even with the inconveniences. Always candid and gifted with a sardonic sense of humor (kept wonderfully intact by Frederic Lees's superlative translation), Foa gives a fascinating and captivating account that is at least as entertaining and even more informative than his near-contemporary Col. John Patterson's "The Man-eaters of Tsavo." The great regret is that his other five books -- including "Mes Grands Chasses Dans L'Afrique Centrale", to which he makes frequent reference in this volume -- have apparently never found their way into print in the English language.

5 comments about Wonders of the African World.

1. Gates has made a good start here. Some things are exposed, like Swahili's role as an Arab pidgeon language (sometimes called "lingua franca" of the Arab slave trade), and at least the African origins of Egypt are mentioned. But African reviewers have given this book a universal drubbing, rightly so, because of its poor treatment of slavery and its role in ripping apart civilizations in Africa.

   Gates' treatment of Egypt is also grossly inadequate. Black Africa's role in Ancient Egypt was assumed in the 1800's. Many great historians like Budge placed Ancient Egyptian alongside other "Negro" languages and the relationships are both startling and clear to the language enthusiast, whereas the relationships to Semitic are strained and minor at best. This is but one of many discussion points that Gates misses entirely ... points that I believe would be of deep fascination to any African-American, but also to Europeans like myself who always find history full of strange unknowns that seem to disappear when racism is caste aside. Gates barely mentions "controversy" when he should be saying "travesty".

   I believe one of the biggest crimes being committed today by our history departments is the repeated, and gross misrepresentation of ancient Egyptian art, culture and society to make it seem more European. Nevertheless, the book makes a great start. If only major publishers could be convinced to get someone more knowledgeable about Africa and its history to try and redo the concept. Personally, I'm still waiting for a quality coffee table book, full of pictures, that properly relates Ancient Egypt to Africa in general.




2. Lynn Davis, I apologize. Your pictures are ok. Nothing outstanding, but surely good work. But Mr. Gates, how can a Harvard professor waste an opportunity of doing some real research about his subject. Everybody in REAL love for Africa was sighing: Another opportunity gone. Mr. Gates is superficial and has a touristic view, which is so often found in descriptions of "my africa" since centuries. There are hundreds of better books available!
   by the way, his PBS series is worse, demonstrating clearly his often neo-colonial point of view.



3. I think Gates meant well by producing this piece,but his mind is no different from Eurocentrics who constantly degrade Africa and it's culture. I Have been on a crusade to justify Africa's existence in the broad history of the world. Gates Fails to do even this. I am a white person by the way. I recommend Gates instead of trying to displace Egypt from Africa you should look for connections. The connections between Egyptain relgion and African traditions is in there and worth a look. Dubois had said in his books constantly about the african features of ancient egypt. I heard Gates is making a documentary of Egypt,and I wonder if it will be insulting like this book and video set. Can scholars trust Gates not to be a biased eurocentric,nor a manaiac Afrocentric. I enjoyed parts of Africana,but found this book was offesive to African people and their culture. If you want to learn more about pre colonial West Africa check out Basil Davidson,a white historian of Africa,but a whole lot better choice on African history. Gates has no knowleadge of Africa either and it not an expert. He is just a pseudo anthropologist/african historian/book critic. TOny Brown also exposed his envolvment of the jewish coverup of the trans Atlantic slave trade. I shall discuss that on another post



4. This interesting account of journeys in Africa is both history and travelogue, in that the author set out to explore his African heritage and find the personal meaning of Africa for himself. Wonders Of The African World succeeds as both in its highly readable narrative.

   The chapter Nubia: Black Gods And Kings, deals with a journey up the Nile from northern Sudan to Egypt while discussing the history of ancient Egypt's southern neighbour. It includes an account of the Kingdom of Kush, whose kings were also pharaos of Egypt between 712 and 664 BC, and also looks at Kerma, Meroë and the Kingdom of Napata.

   Chapter two, Ethiopia: Holy Land And The Lost Ark Of The Covenant, looks at the history of this Christian land, including the Kingdom of Aksum. Salt, Gold And Books is the third chapter and it explores the road to Timbuktu. On the way, it deals with interesting subjects like the Griot (praise singer), the Dogon people, the Empire of Mali and the contemporary country.

   The next visit is to the East Coast (which includes Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Pemba), with its ancient historical connections to the other cultures around the Indian Ocean. The chapter Time Of Forgetfulness focuses on West Africa, the tragic history of the slave trade, the Akan and Asante peoples, and the Kingdom of Dahomey.

   The last chapter, South Africa and Zimbabwe, investigates the legends of the lost city of Monomotapa by looking at the site of Mapungubwe, at the Great Zimbabwe ruins and at the early Shona states. There is a complete map of Africa, plus a map of the area in question at the start of each chapter, all in full color. Impressive color photographs and a wealth of black and white plus color illustrations enhance the text. This gripping read ends with notes and an index.




5. Wonders of The African World is one of the best, fascinating and interesting books l have read on African history and its past.Dr.Gates Jr., set out to explore the African heritage and focuses on the history of the Slave trade and the several African Kingdoms and countries where Africans were taken into Slavery to the New World.AS an African and a scholar l found this book and Dr.Gates Jr., PBS series to be very informative to both African American and non-African Americans.
   Joseph O.Asagba,Ph.D.