Reviews (6)

Well Worth the Investment
Nigeria tends to get short-shrift in the travel guidebooks; rarely is it featured, and it is commonly maligned. This even-handed treatment of Africa's most populous country dishes out the treats that Nigeria has in store for the traveller as well as the negatives. In short, if one exercises common sense and stays alert to his surroundings, Nigeria can be a rewarding experience. The author is a fearless youngster eager to try everything, but also allows for an older person's expatriated sensibilities, understanding that not every traveller wants to camp or lodge in youth hostels (a common ailment in the Lonely Planet travel serials). She finds the warmth in the people that is a common Nigerian trait, and allows the reader to experience that warmth with her. There is no cold, clinical distance from her subject(s). This book is well worth the investment.

Invaluable
As a recipient of numerous email correspondences from immensely wealthy Nigerian heirs and heiresses, I figured that something must be going right in Nigeria, especially Lagos.So, having just sent an wealthy son of a King Obi Obi $10,000 (US), in exchange for some $450 million (US), I wanted to be the first to hop a plane to Nigeria to meet this fine fellow face to face.Particularly after the funds did not show up in my account as he had promised.
Excellent informative book
I recently went on a medical mission trip to Nigeria.I bought this book to learn about the basics of the country, including culture, politics and religion.I found this to be a very well researched book with excellent information, presented in an easy to read fashion.Most notable, however, is the fact that this is the first book in its class.There are no other travel publications devoted to Nigeria.I highly recommend this book to anyone who is planning to travel to this part of the world. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Guidebooks    3. Nigeria    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel & holiday guides    7. Travel / Africa   

Subjects:  1. Nigeria    2. Travel / road maps & atlases   

Editorial Review

If one picture is worth a thousand words, then the combination of text and images in Read more

Reviews (3)

Very good
Dear Sirs, One of the only, andbest, ethnographies of the Wodabe.
Nomads of Niger is an excellently written and colorful depiction of the life of the ancient nomadic Fulani or "Peul" people.Belonging to the group known as the Wodabe or Bororo, these nomadic herders of Niger(actually in this case moving into Chad, Cameroon and Central AfricanRupublic as well) have roamed for centuries across the sub-Saharanbushland, surviving where few others could.Living very simply, yet lovingbeauty and esthetics, their intricate culture and open hospitality isfascinating -- especially as it is is found in one of the harshest livingenvironments on earth. This book has excellent coverage on the Wodaabe
This is truly a wonderful book.The photos are beautiful and depicts the Wodaabe just as they are.The text is very accurate. Although published in 1983 these people are still very much the same today.Read more

Subjects:  1. Bargain Books    2. Bororo (African people)    3. Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies - Tribes    4. Niger    5. Nomads    6. Pictorial works    7. Sale Adult - Travel - General    8. Social life and customs    9. Nigeria    10. Places & peoples: general interest    11. Social Science / Anthropology / General    12. Sale Books   

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

Subjects:  1. Africa,discovery,geography,guide,book,countries description,travel,stories,proceedings,Association,Cairo,Tripoli,Mesurata,Fezzan,Libya,manners,Niger    2. Science / Geography   

Reviews (13)

To Timbuktu has all that a travel book should
To Timbuktu combines the three things necessary for a great travel book: adventure, history, and humor. The central theme of the book is Jenkins search for the source of the Niger River, but that is merely the rack from which Jenkins explores issues such as friendship, humanity, and cultural differences. That said this book is not dense or slow. In fact it is an extremely quick read. Jenkins writing is sometimes boastful and sometimes self-effacing, but always efficient and entertaining. Couldn't disagree more with those in here
who chastise Jenkins for his "machismo" and affix to him the "Ugly American" label.In a genre literally *filled* with unself-critical machismo, with authors who suffer from bloated senses of their missions and themselves and with ordinary wanderings striving unsuccessfully toward the Epic, this book stands apart. A great mix of adventure and history
I have read the book twice in the past year and enjoyed it both times.With 3 different storylines (doing the Niger River source to sea, a boyhood trip to Europe and Africa, and the history of European attempts tounderstand the Niger and visit Timbuktu) this book is a joy to read.Youexperience the trip and the mental thoughts that go through the author'shead, as well as some of the philosophical issues that are encountered inthe trip (guns, pregnant wives, etc).My recommendation:Buy it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th Century Description And Travel    2. Africa    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Essays & Travelogues    5. Guinea    6. Kayak touring    7. Mali    8. Niger River    9. Travel    10. Travel - General    11. Jenkins, Mark    12. Journeys    13. Travel writing   

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Anthropology - Cultural    3. Archaeology / Anthropology    4. Cultural And Social Anthropology    5. Customs & Traditions    6. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. Travel Guides    10. Black studies    11. IGBO (AFRICAN PEOPLE)    12. NIGERIA_SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS    13. Nigeria    14. Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural   

Reviews (6)

More Colonial Nonsense
What most reviewers of "Riding the Demon" miss is the way in which the author metaphorizes Africa for his own "literary" ends.As non-Africans have done now for centuries, Chilson translates"Africa" into a useful tool for his own soul-searching-andpontificating. While in some respects the book may open western eyes to thecomplex that is "Africa," ultimately Chilson bends"Africa" to his purposes and authorial desires.

so, so...
This book was informative, but it is limited to "on the road".You'll hear about the bush taxis and their drivers, but will visit only a small part of the country.This book could have used a good editor --there's some repetition -- and a better map.The map in the front of thebook doesn't list all the towns, villages, etc. that were visited anddoesn't name the adjacent countries.I thought it was worth reading, butdisappointing.

Riding a Taxi
This book was very disappointing indeed. Niger is a large country, but the author only rode a few short stretches on the only real highway at the Southern border. Niger is endless sand dunes with tiny water holes that aretough to find. It has ghost towns and the salt oasis of Bilma. It has smalloases where the people never saw a doctor and where children will die frominfections when they step on an acacia thorn. It is a land of camelcaravans where natives get lost and die in the desert. And where, in themountains, live the blue men of the desert, the Tuaregs. On the desertsands, you can find fish skeletons. And in Agadez you see the world'soldest mosque and can shake hands with the sultan. And where was theauthor? Nowhere in sight of the real Niger.Forget it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th Century Description And Travel    2. Africa    3. Africa, West    4. Anthropology - Cultural    5. Automobile travel    6. Chilson, Peter    7. Description and travel    8. Essays & Travelogues    9. Niger    10. Travel    11. Travel - Foreign    12. Burkina Faso    13. Cultural studies    14. Ivory Coast    15. Journeys    16. Nigeria    17. Travel writing   

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Area / regional studies    5. Places & peoples: general interest    6. Reference works   

Subjects:  1. 1851-1950    2. Africa, West    3. Description and travel    4. Nigeria    5. Safety Islands (French Guiana)    6. Voodooism   

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Area / regional studies    5. Places & peoples: general interest    6. Reference works   

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. General    3. International Relations - General    4. Political Science    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Travel - Foreign    7. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY   

Subjects:  1. Biography/Autobiography    2. Description and travel    3. Maja-Pearce, Adewale    4. Nigeria    5. Travel    6. Journeys   

Subjects:  1. Description and travel    2. Ekoi (African people)    3. Ethnology    4. Nigeria   

Subjects:  1. Atlases    2. Canada    3. Caribbean islands    4. India    5. Japan    6. Maps, charts & atlases    7. Nigeria    8. Switzerland    9. USA   

Subjects:  1. Description and travel    2. Hunting    3. Nigeria   

Subjects:  1. 1851-1950    2. Africa, West    3. Description and travel    4. Niger River    5. Sudan   

Subjects:  1. Description and travel    2. Nigeria   

Subjects:  1. Africa, West    2. Description and travel