Reviews (4)

Skip the Fodor's, Get the Lonely Planet Instead
I bought this book and carried it along with me to Morocco, along with a couple of other travel guides.I found this one to be the least useful, and I abandoned it along the way to lighten my load.In my opinion, the Lonely Planet Guide was the best.I would advise against wasting your money on this one.

Good for highlights, short on detail
The guide is very good at giving an overview of what to see and visit andsample itenerarys.However, it is extremely lacking in detail from placesto stay to potential dangers that can be faced in different areas.This,in combination with the Lonely Planet, which is short on overviews but hasextensive details is great.

Railroad from Marrakech to Safi, build by Frenchs
This railroad was build by french near 1930. I want to know about it ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1981-    2. Africa    3. Description and travel    4. Guide-books    5. Guidebooks    6. Morocco    7. Travel    8. Travel - Foreign    9. Travel Guides    10. Travel & holiday guides    11. Travel / Africa   

Reviews (65)

Another Paul Theroux adventure
"Being in Africa was like being on a dark star."
A wonderful travelogue
I read "Dark Star Safari" on a long plane ride from Asia. It was fitting because SE Asia holds a place in my life somewhat akin to Africa in Theroux's, although unlike him, I get back to Asia on a fairly regular basis.
Most educational travel book I've seen to date
Dark Star Safari is a journey through the REAL Africa. From Cairo to Cape Town Paul travels along the worst roads and through the toughest villages that you won't see on a tourist safari, talking with and learning from everyone he meets along the way. From that perspective this was the most educational travel book to date that I've seen.
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Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Description    3. Description and travel    4. Essays & Travelogues    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Voyages And Travels    8. Travel / Africa   

Reviews (14)

An Attentiveness That's Admirable
How she does it I don't know. She's incredible, seeing beauty in everything, painting vivid pictures for all to delight in. Presuming it to be only remnants from her perfect book I Dreamed of Africa, I doubted the caliber of this work. I was skeptical but willing - but Gallmann has proved that everything she touches illuminates in melodious detail. Whether it is the amplification of a salmon pink sky, silhouettes at dusk, a tree that appears imbued with knowledge, or a night sky saturated with the sounds that are Africa, Kuki's awareness and ensuing stories are exceptional - encroaching inspirational. There is something in every story that appeals to heart and soul. I almost wanted to frame each story separately as if it were a sapphire or quartz rarity, explicit, precious and real. I'm so impressed by her writing and the lighted manner in which she takes in Africa. It's wonderful.
Life on a pedestal of African oppression
I was quite offended by this white settler's life of endless parties, adventures, gourmet foods and travel around the world and throughout the stunning countryside of Kenya. Based on the colonial legacy of British, one of the many brutal European powers that profited from the domination of Africa, Gallmann was able to purchase 100,000 acres of land, stolen through the colonial system. All of Africa is in fact the birthright of the African people themselves. Gallmann's book is full of idealized and romanticized stories in which she is the central star. For a more realistic view of Kenya where nearly 60 percent of the people still live on less than $2 a day with a life expectancy of only 45 years, see, for example, Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya by Caroline Elkins. This is the story of the British slaughter of the Kikuyu people of Kenya in the 1950s who were put by the millions in concentration camps and murdered when they were rightfully struggling for the liberation of their homeland.

Avoid This Book
If there is such a thing as "the ugly American abroad," then this book is proof that there is also an "ugly Italian abroad."The book is poorly written and the author has no cultural sensitivity whatsoever.I grew up in Africa, and can't imagine that there is a reason for anyone to read this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Description And Travel    6. Ethnic Cultures - General    7. Gallmann, Kuki    8. General    9. Historical - General    10. Kenya    11. Laikipia District (Kenya)    12. Social life and customs    13. Women    14. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Africa, Sub-Saharan    3. Individual Photographer    4. Photo Essays    5. Photoessays & Documentaries    6. Photography    7. Photojournalism    8. Pictorial works    9. Subjects & Themes - Travel - World/Africa    10. Travel    11. Photographs: collections   

Reviews (2)

Marrakesh Resident Likes the Book
As a twelve-year foreign resident of Marrakesh, I read with interest this slim volume in about two hours.Before reading, I thought this was something written in the past 20 years.But I quickly discovered that the author's sejour in Morocco must have occurred in about 1959 (according to my Moroccan husband) due to certain events mentioned.(The book was first published in 1967.) A vivid record of Marrakesh
"The Voices of Marrakesh," by Elias Canetti, has been translated from German by J.A. Underwood.The copyright page of the 2001 edition notes that both text and translation have a 1967 copyright date.The back cover notes that author Canetti was born in Bulgaria and received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1981.Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Essays & Travelogues    3. General    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Biography: general    7. Morocco    8. Travel / General    9. Travel writing   

Reviews (3)

Thorough, but very negative writer
I enjoyed this book but was extremely disappointed by the pessimism displayed by the writer.While he was extremely thorough in his examination of the many great places and activities in Zambia, his writing failed to get me excited about my trip.In fact, it made me dread going.Fortunately, once I got here, I realized that Zambia is a WONDERFUL country and the negatives are few and far
Valuable resouce guide
I found this guide book extremely helpful and informative.I would highly recommend it to anyone planning a trip (especially for the first time) to Zambia.It was very thorough and comprehensive.It answered my many questions--almost before I had them, and made me feel much more confident about traveling to a new country.The author is knowledgable and well-versed.The information and tips included are pertinent and timely.Don't leave for Zambia without it!

The best option available
I spent six weeks in Zambia in fall 2003. In preparing for the trip, I checked out all the available guidebooks and found two that were worth carrying along: the Lonely Planet guide and the Bradt guide. In all, Bradt was the best. It covered more territory, was stronger on areas of the country outside the major cities (Lusaka, Livingstone, etc.), had better coverage of safaris, and just generally seemed to be written by someone who knew the country -- not someone who had zipped in and out for guidebook purposes. There was almost never anything in the LP that wasn't in the Bradt; there were often things that were in the Bradt that weren't in the LP. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel & holiday guides    5. Travel / Africa    6. Zambia   

Reviews (4)

Wonderful account of an African Safari
This is an excellent example of what it is like at the game reserve.My wife and I spent 10 days at Malamala, and this book brought back all of the memorable experiences we had in the bush.We spent some time with Jamiewhile we were there and he is a true artist with a camera, as well as anenjoyable dinner companion.

The photos are wonderful and the discriptions are endearing.
My family and I just returned from a photographic safari on the MalaMala game reserve.We purchased the book from the onsite gift store as it represented so many wonderful memories of our adventure in South Africa.Jamie Thom is a wonderful guide and truely has a wonderful gift forphotographing these many amazing animals.We highly recommend thisphotographic work of art to all who love nature.

Almost Like Being There!
This is a breathtakingly beautiful view of the animals of the South African Lowveld. Ms. Lumry and Mr. Thom have captured the unique experience of an African Safari with a stunning collection of photos that make you feel like you could reach out and touch the animals. If you're thinkingabout an African Safari or want to relive the thrill of one you've taken,this is a "must have" book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Photography / Photo Essays    3. Reference - General    4. Travel    5. Travel - General    6. Travel / Africa    7. MalaMala Game Reserve (South Africa)    8. Photography / General    9. Pictorial works    10. South Africa    11. Travel - Foreign    12. Zoology   

Reviews (1)

great!
tayler is a keen observer of humankind, erudite, articulate, fair-minded. i stumbled on this book and now look forward to reading everything he's written. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Description And Travel    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel / Africa   

Reviews (1)

Best English-language guide we've seen
My wife is Malagasy.After over 20 years away, then one exploratory trip, she took me on the next trip.Of the 5 guide books we had, this is the one that she likes best.It is also the book with the most detailed descriptions, from numerous readers who have contributed to Ms. Bradt's editions.It probably also has the best all-around advice. As a traveler, probably from a rich land, to one of the world's poorest places, you will need this advice.
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Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. Madagascar    6. Travel & holiday guides    7. Travel / Africa   

Reviews (4)

Found what he went looking for and more
Graham Greene was weary and appalled by the world atrocities of the early 20th century.He decided to go looking for life as basic and unspoiled as it was in the beginning.He chose to do so in Liberia, the African nation that had always been under black rule and not colonized or fleeced by Europe in modern times, though even it was a western construct, carved out of the continent by Americans as a homeland to repatriate freed slaves (or, as Greene says, a place to hide mulatto offspring).His trek on foot lasted the month of February 1935, and JOURNEY WITHOUT MAPS is his account of what became a transformative experience.
Greene's geographical foray
I've read a number of Greene's novels, but this little travel book was equal to his other publications.As usual, his attention to detail, people, and culture creates wonderful images that bring us right to the Liberia of the 1930s.I shared the book with my sister who lived in Liberia for 27 yrs. and she was astonished at the accurate reporting.His prose is the best I've read for a book devoted to travel experiences.

Real Life "Adventure"
Not an adventure when compared to fictional safari tales in which the intrepid travellers fight off fierce lions and savage "natives" in every chapter. Instead, an enjoyable and realistic account of Greene's arduous and near-disasterous trek through Liberia. Greene travelled with his cousin, Barbara Greene, who also wrote an account of their journey--Too Late to Turn Back. Interesting contrasts between the two books if you can find copies of both. I had to order a copy of Barbara's book from a used book store in England. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1904-    2. 1904-1991    3. 20th Century Description And Travel    4. Africa    5. Africa, West    6. Business/Economics    7. Description and travel    8. Essays & Travelogues    9. Greene, Graham - Prose & Criticism    10. Greene, Graham,    11. Guinea    12. Liberia    13. Literature - Classics / Criticism    14. Travel    15. Greene, Graham    16. Journeys    17. Travel / Essays & Travelogues    18. Travel writing    19. West Africa   

Reviews (10)

Good Book
This is a very interesting book. Who could do a better job then Carter at writing a book on King Tutankhamen. I only wish they could have added a few more pictures of the beautiful treasures in the tomb.

One of my favorite books
I have a beloved hard copy that I've owned since sophomore year of high school when I learned about Howard Carter and Tutankhamen in A.P. History class. I was hooked and had to learn more. I've read that the first edition was actually two volumes but I haven't ever come across any copies yet.

Fascinating
If you love Epyptology, you'll love this book. Written like a diary, it will keep you on the edge of your seat, waiting for what's around the corner. A must read! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - Egypt    2. Egypt    3. Excavations (Archaeology)    4. Excavations (Archeology)    5. General    6. History: World    7. King of Egypt    8. Sociology    9. Special Interest - Adventure    10. Tomb    11. Tutankhamen,    12. African history: BCE to c 500 CE    13. Middle & Near Eastern archaeology    14. Travel / Adventure    15. Tutankhamen   

Subjects:  1. 1890-1976    2. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    3. Exhibition Catalogs    4. Exhibitions    5. Individual Photographer    6. Photo Essays    7. Photography    8. Photography, Artistic    9. Strand, Paul,    10. Egypt    11. Ghana    12. Italy    13. Morocco    14. Photographs: collections    15. Photography / Travel    16. Places & peoples: general interest    17. Romania    18. Scotland   

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. Republic of South Africa    6. Travel & holiday guides    7. Travel / Africa   

Subjects:  1. Republic of South Africa    2. Travel / road maps & atlases   

Reviews (9)

The crimes of Mengistu and the Dergue.
This book is almost completely about how the Communist government of Ethiopia misled the West into thinking that a small harvest was the reason for the mass starvation of 1984.Most remember this as the time when the charitable West stepped in with huge donations of grain and musician celebrities formed to perfom Band Aid.It is bad because the main culprit was the dictator Mengistu and his Communist buddies doing forced resettlement, collectivization, and centralized villages.They wanted to win the civil war raging in Ethiopia and install a Marxist government.Millions died, the Hollywood establishment blamed bad weather, and leftists told the West they weren't doing enough.Well the Ethiopian government could have stopped the genocide by stopping its failed policies.
Robert kaplan need more research
The book takes a view of one side approach. I lived in Ethiopia in the 1980's and most of the staff Mr. Kaplan talked about never happened. The historical facts are missing. Emperor Menelik was not the first Amhara king there was Emperor Tewdros form Gojam which is the main Amhara region who united Ethiopia from Red Sea to Showa. Reading the book makes me think that the author had a good close relationship with then gorilla fighters now the people in power in Ethiopia and its former province Eriteria.

The worst book on the Horn of Africa I have ever read
Kaplan's book "Balkan Ghosts" was described by slavist H. Cooper (Slavic Review 52, 1993) as "a dreadful mix of unfounded generalizations, misinformation, outdated sources, personal prejudices and bad writing". The same can be applied to "Surrender or starve". Any specialist could point dozens of minor errors in this book, but lack of scholarship is not the worst. Kaplan is exasperatingly tendentious and partial and his extraordinary simplification and misunderstanding of the conflict in the Horn is outrageous. He overemphasizes the ethnic component, sometimes dangerously approaching racism in his contempt for the Amharas (they are all intrinsically bad). To be sure, the Derg (the communist regime) was evil, but linking a particular culture (the Amharas) with a transient political regime that was imposed against the people's will is absolutely wrong. Besides, anyone minimally informed knows how many Amharas suffered by the resettlement policies of the Derg.
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Subjects:  1. 1974-    2. Africa    3. Africa - East - Ethiopia    4. Africa, Northeast    5. Contemporary Politics - Africa    6. Description and travel    7. Famines    8. Food supply    9. History - General History    10. International Relations - General    11. Political Science    12. Politics and government    13. Politics/International Relations    14. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    15. Political Science / International Relations    16. Political structure & processes   

Reviews (14)

"Nowhere is Paradise"
Michael Palin, who did such a marvelous job with his Hemingway and Himalayan travel adventures in both TV and book forms, brings similar success to a less palatable subject:Sahara.This lovely book, filled with colorful and excellent photography, is Palin's very personal story of his 9 country/10,000 mile odyssey.He is a wonderful raconteur and guide.
A Very, Very Good Travel Book!!
I listened to this book on CD while I wallpapered my bathroom and it made the time go so fast! It is beautifully written and so easy to listen to. Palin is a master story teller and brings Africa to life with this book. Wonderful!!

Sahara
A pleasant adventure story about the author's trip through the Sahara Desert similar to the kind told on the Discovery HD Theater channel. One can feel the sights and sounds of the intriguing and mystical land of Africa, as Michael Palin with his British accent, tells the story of his journey. I found myself transfixed and transported back into time, invisioning myself in Morocco in the 1920's with camels and dark mahogany wood. This story inspired some of my home decorations... Recommend if you want an educational, relaxing and inspiring story. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Description and travel    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. Palin, Michael    5. Pictorial works    6. Sahara    7. Special Interest - Adventure    8. Travel    9. Travel - Foreign    10. Journeys    11. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (2)

In need of update
I find the guide useful in my recent travel to Tunisia but many places need updating, particularly the "where to stay" and "where to eat" sections the comments in which I find run-of-the-mill and, in some cases, outdated, e.g. one hotel was closed down more than a year ago despite its mentioning in the guide.I find these two sections disappointing.

Best Travel Book on the Market
This is the best travel guide I've ever found. Full of full color photographs and information that is relevant and sectioned in a logical manner. Well worth the money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. General    3. Guidebooks    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides    7. Tunisia    8. Travel / Africa   

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Lesotho    5. Republic of South Africa    6. Swaziland    7. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (2)

Lonely Planet Watching Wildlife:East Africa
I recently took a wonderful trip to Africa and went on several game drives.We saw so many new animals that I didn't know existed.Two of my friends, also on the trip, had your book.This book explained about the animals and had such great pictures that were such a help in distinguishing the animals.I liked the small area map that tells where the animal is found.The organization of the book is so helpful and easy to find what you are looking for.I have read it over and over again and used it as a reference for my presentations.

Lonely Planet Watching Wildlife: East Africa
Organized in 3 sections: habitats, parks, animals.The sections are well organized, easy to find what you want and easily cross-referenced.Helped us tremendously in planning where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see in East Africa.Wonderful pictures, too. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Special Interest - Adventure    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Wildlife    6. East Africa    7. Travel & holiday guides    8. Wild animals   

Reviews (9)

Bula Matari "The Rock Breaker" indeed
The natives of Africa who worked with Stanley called him Bulla Marari - "The Rock Breaker", and with good reason. It is really very hard to appreciate Stanley's accomplishments from today's perspective. In 1874, Stanley left Zanzibar. By 1877, he had crossed the continent and reached the Atlantic Ocean. There is nothing modern man can do that would equal this accomplishment. Today's daring adventurers climb rocks or mountains or go bungee jumping. Stanley was traveling into the unknown. Not even space exploration today holds the quality of the unknown, as did Africa in Stanley's time. The hardship he faced during this time was unbelievable by today's standards. His circumnavigation of Lake Victoria alone contained a constant stream of near death scrapes that not only required staggering amounts of physical courage, but a mental toughness as well. A lot of the reviews I have read on this work focus on Stanley's political incorrectness. I urge a closer reading of the work. Stanley was actually extremely open minded and, more than anything, fair in his views and certainly very progressive. When discussing the character of the African natives, Stanley was of the opinion that "they are, in short, equal to any other race or colour on the face of the globe, in all the attributes of manhood." Stanley was an insightful enough observer to draw comparisons between African legends and Christian beliefs, giving each equal respect and recognizing their similarities. Stanley even at one point performs the ceremony of blood-brotherhood with the famous chief Mirambo, which involved the sharing of blood by mutual cuts on the leg. I would suggest that Stanley was not only a progressive during his own time, but for any time. He judged men simply by deeds, nothing more or less. If only Stanley recieved the same standard of judgement. In Stanley's time, so much was unknown, and the world seemed so large and rich. In our time, so much more is known, and yet our world has become so narrow, specialized and petty. There can never be another man like Stanley. We are all far more interested in watching a teenager eat a plate of worms on "Fear Factor."

Hate the author, Love the Historical Perspective
Yes, this book is full of lies and it's the least PC thing I've ever read, and for that it is worthy of interest. The voice is the thing here, and it really adds a dimension of understanding how the Europeans could have been so stupid and so entrepreneurial at the same time. Lies? Yes. But That's The Point
Of course this book of full of lies, but that is what makes it so great.If you are reading this book through the eyes of a historian, and can't get past the lies, your eyes aren't open all the way.Stanley's "Through the Dark Continent" shows us the European idealogy of African colonization.All his lies are not produced simply for the purpose of lying, or hiding the truth.He lies to give Europe what it wants: a perfect arena for the civilizing mission.These savages that throw themselves at the feet of Stanley are perfect for conversion.This book helped propel imperialization in its own time, and now shows us how they did such.Read more

Subjects:  1. (Henry Morton),    2. 1841-1904    3. Africa    4. Africa - General    5. Africa, Central    6. Description and travel    7. History - General History    8. History: American    9. Special Interest - Adventure    10. Stanley, Henry M    11. Stanley, Henry M.    12. Travel    13. Classic travel writing    14. Geographical discovery & exploration    15. Journey    16. Other prose: 19th century    17. Travel / Adventure