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Essential Reading

Item EXSAF272. Buy these 5 items as a set for $117 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
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The Wildlife of Southern Africa, A Field Guide to the Animals and Plants of the Region

The Wildlife of Southern Africa, A Field Guide to the Animals and Plants of the Region

by Vincent Carruthers | Kenneth Newman

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES
  • BEST SELLER

With 1,200 color illustrations by a range of experts, this compact field guide includes all the birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, fish and plants that a traveler is likely to encounter in Southern Africa. (SAF59, $29.95)

Africa's Big Five

Africa's Big Five

by Gerald Hinde

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2005
  • HARD COVER
  • 144 PAGES

Bestseller. Gerald Hinde teamed up with colleagues William Taylor and Richard du Toit for this portrait of the lion, elephant, leopard, rhino and buffalo, featuring hundreds of color photographs by the accomplished trio. (AFR178, $39.95)

The Safari Companion

The Safari Companion

by Richard Estes

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 459 PAGES
  • BEST SELLER

An invaluable encyclopedic guide to Africa's mammals by a noted scientist. Written with the typical safari-goer in mind, this perennial bestseller includes black-and-white drawings, an overview of each group and in-depth information. (AFR06, $30.00)

Cry of the Kalahari, Seven Years in Africa's Last Great Wilderness

Cry of the Kalahari, Seven Years in Africa's Last Great Wilderness

by Mark Owens | Delia Owens

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1985
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

The story of a family thrown out of Botswana for its stance on conservation. While their approach to conservation is controversial, there's no doubt that the Owens are dedicated to the wildlife of southern Africa -- and are very good writers. (SAF13, $16.00)

Southern Africa Regional Map

Southern Africa Regional Map

by ITMB

  • 2008
  • MAP

A double-sided map of the continent south of the Zambezi River, at a scale of 1:2,125,000, with color photographs and notes on parks and major attractions. (SAF63, $12.95)

 
Africa, A Biography of the Continent

Africa, A Biography of the Continent


by John Reader

  • HISTORY
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 816 PAGES

With the ease of a practiced journalist, Reader weaves a masterful and lively tale of the continent, from ancient cultures to modern times. Both authoritative and informal, this is a splendid introduction to all of Africa. (AFR49, $18.95)

The Fate of Africa

The Fate of Africa


by Martin Meredith

  • HISTORY
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 792 PAGES

Ambitious in scope, immensely readable -- and as big as a doorstop -- Martin Meredith's blockbuster country-by-country overview of the tumult in Africa since independence is now revised and updated to reflect recent events. (AFR154, $21.99)

The Harmless People

The Harmless People


by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 303 PAGES

A classic study of the Bushmen of the Kalahari, novelistic in its detail. Based on the author's fieldwork, the account is direct, informative, and strong on the character of the people and land. (SAF60, $15.95)

The Scramble for Africa

The Scramble for Africa


by Thomas Pakenham

  • HISTORY
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 738 PAGES

Absorbing and meticulously researched, this in-depth history of the Victorian land grab in Africa includes excellent portraits of the egomaniacal personalities who overran the continent. (AFR26, $23.99)

Where Fire Speaks, A Visit With the Himba

Where Fire Speaks, A Visit With the Himba


by David Campion | Sandra Shields

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 165 PAGES

The journalist and photographer team, funded by the International Center for Human Rights and Democratic Development, capture the challenges and life of the Himba people of northern Namibia. (NMB18, $16.95)

The Eye of the Elephant, An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness

The Eye of the Elephant, An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness


by Mark Owens | Delia Owens

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 305 PAGES

The adventures of conservationists Mark and Delia Owens in the Luangwa River Valley of Zambia. They set up camp in the wilderness among the elephants, but are drawn into an ugly struggle with the local people. (ZMB04, $18.95)

The Healing Land, The Bushmen and the Kalahari Desert

The Healing Land, The Bushmen and the Kalahari Desert


by Rupert Isaacson

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 278 PAGES

A powerful account of the ancient traditions of the Kalahari Bushmen -- and the very contemporary struggle of a people who have been displaced from their land. (SAF135, $13.00)

Twenty Chickens for a Saddle

Twenty Chickens for a Saddle


by Robyn Scott

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 464 PAGES

Haphazardly schooled by her free-spirited mother and left to roam the bush, Scott writes with warmth and candor of her unconventional upbringing in Botswana, including her Grandpa Ivor (personal pilot to the first president of Botswana), physician father's work, unfortunate pets, siblings and adventures. (SAF203, $15.00)

Ulendo, Travels of a Naturalist In and Out of Africa

Ulendo, Travels of a Naturalist In and Out of Africa


by Archie Carr

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 303 PAGES

Carr's gentle memoir of scientific adventures on his home turf in Florida and off in the bush of Malawi and Zambia combines good writing with plenty of wit, insight and scientific rigor. (SAF46, $19.95)

Whatever You Do, Don't Run

Whatever You Do, Don't Run


by Peter Allison

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 246 PAGES

Allison spins captivating tales of wildlife, camps and the life of a Safari guide into a hilarious, slyly informative introduction to Botswana. (BOT29, $16.95)

Mating

Mating


by Norman Rush

  • LITERATURE
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 480 PAGES

This comic novel evokes daily life in Botswana and skewers the notion of well-intentioned academics at large in the developing world. The description of a trek from Gaborone to the Kalahari is terrific. (BOT03, $16.95)

Mortals, A Novel

Mortals, A Novel


by Norman Rush

  • LITERATURE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 736 PAGES

A dazzling novel, set among American expatriates in 1990s Botswana. Rush pulls off the trick of making the sprawling book both personally and politically charged. (SAF141, $15.95)

The Burning Shore

The Burning Shore


by Wilbur Smith

  • LITERATURE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 632 PAGES

An epic tale of romance, survival and daring set in Southwestern Africa (aka Namibia) by the master of South African pulp fiction. (NMB12, $8.99)

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency


by Alexander McCall Smith

  • MYSTERY
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 235 PAGES

The delightful introduction to Botswana's formidable female detective, evoking the cultures, customs and texture of Africa. (BOT10, $13.95)

The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo

The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo


by Peter Orner

  • LITERATURE
  • 2007
  • PAPER

Set in Nambia at a school in the middle of nowhere in the desert in 1991, soon after independence from South Africa, Orner's hypnotic debut novel revolves around a young American teacher's captivating co-worker, the beautiful young woman of the title. (NMB15, $13.99)

Horn of Darkness, Rhinos on the Edge

Horn of Darkness, Rhinos on the Edge


by Carol Cunningham | Joel Berger

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

A lively account of field work, combining adventure, natural history and thoughtful commentary on the plight of the severely endangered black rhinoceros in Namibia. (NMB07, $50.00)

Relentless Enemies: Lions and Buffalo


by Beverly Joubert | Dereck Joubert

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2006
  • HARD COVER
  • 176 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

The husband-and-wife team document two years among the lions of Botswana's Duba Plains in 100 stunning images in this companion book to a National Geographic film on the Okavango Delta. (SAF175, $40.00)

Secrets of the Savanna, Twenty-three Years in the African Wilderness Unraveling the Mysteries of Elephants and People

Secrets of the Savanna, Twenty-three Years in the African Wilderness Unraveling the Mysteries of Elephants and People


by Mark Owens | Delia Owens

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 230 PAGES

A heartfelt memoir of the North Luangwa Conservation Project in remote Zambia. Mark and Delia Owens came to Luangwa Valley to study lions and found themselves caught up in an often dangerous fight to save elephants from poachers. (ZMB06, $14.95)

The Elephant's Secret Sense, The Hidden Life of the Wild Herds of Africa

The Elephant's Secret Sense, The Hidden Life of the Wild Herds of Africa


by Caitlin O'Connell

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

O'Connell chronicles the extraordinary social lives of elephants in Etosha National Park in this powerful account of a 14-year study. (NMB20, $15.00)

The Myth of Wild Africa

The Myth of Wild Africa


by Jonathan Adams | Thomas McShane

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 290 PAGES

The authors, associated with the World Wildlife Fund, explode the romantic fallacy of an untouched continent where animals roam freely in sanctuaries. It's a no-holds-barred critique of old-style conservation in Africa. (AFR15, $29.95)

Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa

Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa


by Ian Sinclair | Phil Hockey | Warwick Tarboton

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 447 PAGES

This compact, comprehensive field guide features 200 dazzling color plates covering 950 species of birds from South Africa to southern Mozambique. Fourth Edition. (SAF12, $35.00)

Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals

Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals


by Jonathan Kingdon

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 272 PAGES

An artist and biologist, Kingdon provides both delightful full-color illustrations and informative text. (EAF128, $24.95)

Newman's Birds of Southern Africa

Newman's Birds of Southern Africa


by Kenneth Newman

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 538 PAGES

This commemorative tenth edition celebrates the contribution of the late author, Kenneth Newman, fully revised and updated by his daughter, Vanessa Newman, to reflect the latest research, taxonomy and common names. (SAF29, $26.00)

Southern Africa, Travellers' Wildlife Guides

Southern Africa, Travellers' Wildlife Guides


by William Branch | Chris Stuart | Tilde Stuart | Warwick Tarboton

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 520 PAGES

Geared for travelers, this compact guide features color illustrations of commonly encountered birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians of Southern Africa. (SAF171, $27.95)

Southern African Wildlife, A Visitor's Guide

Southern African Wildlife, A Visitor's Guide


by Mike Unwin

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 234 PAGES

A popular photographic guide to the mammals, birds, reptiles and habitats south of the Zambezi. With 300 color photographs and illuminating text. (SAF131, $26.99)

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Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.